Requiem Knight
by Dumas1
Summary: Even half-Lucifer Hawks can find love, though it may come from an unusual source. The final battle approaches, and Ganossa finally shows his hand. COMPLETE NOW! Enjoy!
1. Encounters

Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Mobius…it was created by Kia Asamiya

Chapter 1: Encounters

'Welcome to the Tokyo Hilton, Mr. de Winter. Your room is number 682 on the sixth floor. If there's anything you need, just call the front desk and we'll do everything we can for you.' The buxom redhead behind the desk handed a keycard to the white-haired man standing before her. His face was smooth, except for laugh lines around his mouth and eyes, but it nonetheless radiated an aura of sorrow and antiquity. Perhaps it was something in his piercing black eyes or the slight twist to his smile as he took the card, but the clerk had the feeling that this was a man who had traveled far and seen much of both joy and pain. He was lean, but not particularly tall.

'Thank you. Good evening, Miss.' The man's voice carried the tones of England, though his face was that of one born in the East. Winter turned towards the elevator, towing his pair of much-battered suitcases behind him..

His room was small, with little more than the necessities of modern life: network jack, TV, and phone. Winter stowed his suitcases, made a brief phone call, and changed into red shirt and grey pants before leaving again. A lean blue sports car awaited him at the curb, its roof no higher than chest height on Winter. A lion rampant paraded on the hood, a sign corresponding to no known make. A red-uniformed valet stepped out through the gull-wing doors and bowed him in. The older man asked about the local clubs; the valet directed him to the Blue Flamingo a few blocks away.

'Can I have an Ignis Inferni?' The bartender didn't know that one. Winter raised him voice over the old disco tune pulsing from a dozen speakers. 'It's pretty simple. Just take an ounce of Scotch and add about a dozen drops of Tabasco sauce, though any hot sauce will do (1).' The bartender mixed the drink, then thoroughly rinsed the shaker.

'Where'd you learn that one?'

'I think the bartender at the Golden Phoenix in Taipei invented it. It's great on warm nights, and wonderful on cold ones.'

'Can I have one, too?' asked a blonde behind Winter. The bartender complied and the woman downed it at a gulp. 'Wow, that really hits you, doesn't it? It's like my mouth's on fire.' She gasped and nearly spat the drink on her blue silk dress.

Winter smiled wryly. 'You get used to it after a few. It's a great surprise for your less social friends. By the way, I'm new in town. Do you know any other good clubs around here?'

'There's the Wolf Lounge down the street and across the bridge. The music isn't nearly as good as this one, but they serve a damn good steak.' The woman turned towards the dance floor and half-beckoned him to follow. He shook his head, nodding towards the men's room. She found another partner on the floor as he quietly left the club.

The bridge was surprisingly empty considering the early hour and its location in the heart of Tokyo's nightclub district. The air above the span rippled and a ten-foot-tall humanoid creature stepped onto the pavement as Winter approached. Slick blue-grey skin gleamed in the headlights and the rows of large spikes running down either side of its broad chest shone under the crimson moon (2). Traffic halted as drivers stopped to either avoid ramming the entity or to stare at it.

The creature slowly turned, surveying the bridge. Two chest spikes shot out and pierced the windshield of a small Mitsubishi. The tentacles pulled back, hauling the passengers into the creature's mouth. Blood spurted from its fang-filled slit of a mouth as it chewed.

'Damn! Alice, suit me up. I'm going out,' Winter shouted, slapping a switch on the dashboard. The car shimmered and faded from view as the monster cast about for more prey.

'Sir, may I remind you that the armour stored in the car is only a light suit? That creature may very well be able to pierce it, judging from the violence of its attack on that other vehicle.' The AI's voice was as smooth as ever, but she spoke as one might to a small child or a particularly foolish friend.

'Alice, you know damn well that I wore this on the field at Gora-sho. I doubt that this thing can match a Havamil H-019 for penetration. Besides, I can't just let everyone out there die, can I?'

'As you wish, sir,' the AI sighed. 'You really should get the dents out of that suit some time.' A battered suit of grey armour emerged from various compartments in the seat and ceiling to fit itself around him. Winter took a pair of slim metal cylinders from the glove compartment and touched another switch. The driver's door swung open and he stepped out.

The sudden appearance of an armoured man from thin air seemed to amuse the creature. Its chest heaved with hissing laughter and it asked, 'Sssssoooo, you think you can defeat me, little one?' Two tentacles shot out at the man. He shook the cylinders and they expanded into a pair of long sabers, held parallel to the ground out to either side of him. Faster than the eye could follow, he spun to one side and struck out. Two large claws fell to the ground.

'My turn.' Winter charged, sabers trailing behind him. The monster shot more tentacles at him, but he dodged them all, severing them in midair. Twin strokes sliced off the creature's arms and the eyestalks on its broad, flat head.

The thing laughed as the severed tentacles and other appendages melted and flowed back to their owner. It reared up and kicked Winter in the center of his cuirass with its taloned foot, throwing him into the side of a tractor-trailer about twenty feet away. The truck tipped dangerously close to falling over; the driver frantically worked his door to escape. Winter's sabers fell from his hands as he flew and his breastplate had acquired a new dent.

'Tough son of a bitch, aren't you?' He picked himself up and clenched his fists. Angry red flames flared between his fingers, brighter than the sun and hotter than dragon's breath. He charged again, this time leaping into the air and twisting in flight to avoid the spiked tentacles. Winter landed behind the creature and drove one fiery fist into the center of its chest as it turned to face him. A moment later, flames surged from its eyes, mouth, and the ends of its limbs. The papery black shell the flames left behind fell into dust as the man pulled back his fist.

'Alice, uncloak.' The car reappeared where he'd left it. Winter doffed his plumed Greek-style helm as he sat down. A firm shake returned the sabers to their can-like state. 'Don't bother with the armour. I'll deal with it later. Bre– What the hell!'

A building at the far end of the bridge exploded in flames, followed by a violent flood of water. Alice calmly reported that the phenomenon appeared magical in nature and asked if her master would care to investigate.

'Not in this suit. Open a portal home and break out Scorpio and Draco. I have a feeling I'll need them.' He started the engine and turned back towards the Hilton.

'Sir, I think we should leave this world. We _are _on vacation, after all.'

'I can't leave, not yet. I told you when we entered this world, and again after coming to Tokyo, that something called me to this world, this city. There's something I must do here, something I left unfinished a long time ago.' The man fell silent, staring into the night. At last, he murmured, 'Nothing's familiar, but I still feel like I've been here before. My journeys will end here, at least for a time.'

'I wish you'd said that about the last world, Alex.' The car turned down a dark alley and passed through a glowing portal.

'Anything in the news, Alice?'

'The bridge incident last night was reported as a pair of murders with the bodies missing. That burst of water and fire we saw was attributed to a band's pyrotechnics that got out of hand, followed by a burst water main. However, the tabloids are reporting this as a "Third Attraction," which seems to have something to do with aliens from what I've read. No one has any pictures, though.'

'Thanks, Alice. Are Scorpio and Draco ready?'

'They're in the armoury and garage for final inspection.'

Alex rose from the breakfast table. He pressed his palm to a panel beside the heavy blast door down the hall and it hissed open. Inside were shelves of weapons and ammunition, ranging from polearms and swords to submachine guns and energy weapons. A suit of silver armour stood at the far end, surrounded by computers and various tools. The chest and massive cups surmounting the shoulders threatened to swallow the wearer's head. The helm was fashioned in the shape of a dragon's head with blue gems set in the eye sockets with a mane of red hair spilling down the back. The suit stood head and shoulders taller than its owner, who seemed almost frail beside it.

'Anti-gravs active, thrusters primed, Med-systems fully stocked….air supply needs to be refilled…everything seems fine.' Alex tapped at the main display console, scrolling through the status reports. Finally, he nodded, satisfied that the suit was in fighting condition. 'Fit it with the claw gauntlets, then load it in Draco when I'm done there. I'll also need my pistol, the sabers, a pulse rifle, and…this in there with it.' 'This' was a curious polearm–a three-foot curved broadsword on a five-foot pole. Alex turned towards the door and vanished. He rematerialized at the far end of the estate in a massive structure housing a vast collection of cars and other vehicles. Draco sat in a small side room filled with tools, parts, and diagnostic equipment.

Draco was a black sports car, somewhat larger than the blue one in the Hilton garage. A scarlet dragon roared silently on the hood. Alex opened the door and tapped a hidden switch on the steering wheel. Panels slid aside to reveal missile racks and small energy cannon mounted to cover every angle. Another switch, retracted the wheels while the car lifted into the air. Alex noted, 'Anti-gravs are good. Weapons seem to be charged.'

Another switch made the car's paint job shift from black to green to purple to silver before becoming invisible. 'Holoemitter and cloak check out. I'll take it out tonight.'

'Yes, ma'am, we've already sent a patrol car to investigate. There have been several similar reports tonight,' the dispatcher sighed after the caller hanged up. That had been the fifth report of a flying silver man in the last hour. The last two patrols had seen nothing stranger than a young man showing off his new sports car. He'd been sent off with a warning about aerial traffic laws and the second patrol had seen nothing at all.

Miles away, just above the last caller's building, Alice's voice sounded in Alex's ear. 'Sir, Draco's sensors have picked up a swarm of unidentified life-forms moving towards your position. They are emitting energy in a manner similar to the creature you encountered last night, though at a much lower level. There are perhaps fifty of them, each half the size of a human.'

Moments later, Alex caught sight of the hostile swarm. Seen with Scorpio's telescopic vision, the creatures were maroon and grey globes about a yard in diameter with stubby wings and fanged-fille maws. Alex remarked that they seemed to resemble piranhas, small predators that hunted in large packs to bring down larger prey. A bare second passed before the swarm saw him and attacked. When they were within a hundred yards or so, Alex clenched his fists and the gems in his helm blazed with cold blue fire. Darts of golden light appeared between his fingers and he threw with a flip of his wrists. A dozen small suns flared and died as he fired a volley of fireballs. The 'piranhas' easily dodged those and spread out to surround their prey. The dragon's eyes blazed again and two bolts of lightning arced from Alex's hands. They forked a dozen times and more piranhas fell from the sky, charred and lifeless.

The survivors charged and claws extended from the back of Scorpio's hands. Sapphire flames danced along their edges and the dragon's eyes burned. Alex danced in the air, striking savagely with his flaming claws. The piranhas' teeth found no purchase on the polished plates, but Alex's claws left black ashes wherever they touched alien flesh. Within a minute, all that remained of the creatures was a shower of charred steaks. The eyes' fire dimmed and the claws retracted as Alice spoke again. 'Sir, I'm picking up a large aircraft, approaching fast. ETA…2 minutes. I'd advise you to pull out.'

'Give me a visual.' An image of the craft appeared on his helmet screens. It was a slim silver pyramid, enlarged by engines at the far end, with a single vertical fin at the bow and two horizontal ones at the stern. Its design screamed military or police vessel. Alex and Draco vanished from sight as it approached.

'I can't believe it…it finished fifty Lucifer Hawks in under two minutes! What _was_ that thing!' A muscular woman with reddish brown hair aboard the cruiser stared at the viewscreen in front of her in shock. The crew was female, all dressed in blue uniforms with white shoulder 'wings' and a small white loop under the right shoulder.

'It was a man…I can't say much more than that. I see silver hair and a woman…no, two women. I think one's far in the past, but the other is very near.' This came from the small young woman with orangish brown hair beside her.

'The cameras got a few shots, but they're blurry because of our motion and range. I should be able to enhance them once we get back to the station,' said the blue-eyed blonde in the pilot's seat.

'Whoever he is, he's welcome to all the Lucifer Hawks he can kill. Makes our job easier.' The brunette had a pragmatic view of life.

'We'll have to report to the Chief that someone else has joined this war. He seems to have some very advanced technology at his disposal–that flying armour, for example. I hope we can get him to join us.' Ironically, the blonde seemed to be the brains of the group.

'Hey, Alice, where are the papers?' Alex asked groggily as he emerged from the bathroom.

'On the table. Where they are every morning.'

'Oh, thanks, Alice. I'm going out for coffee now; please route calls to my cell phone.' Alex picked up his papers, stepped through a golden portal and emerged in a dark alley beside a small coffee shop. The sign over the door read 'Labyrinth.' The shop was only open intermittently, but the owner had set up an email service to alert her regulars. She was standing behind the counter when Alex walked in.

'Good morning, Alex. Are you still reading those things? Where do you get them?' She was a young woman, perhaps twenty, with light brown hair that was just shy of orange. Alex stood almost a head taller than her.

'Morning, Ms. Saiko. I subscribe, like half the city. I just print them out like this.' He held up the old-fashioned floppy black-and-white pages. Most subscribers read them on computer screens.

'Please, call me Yuki. Why do you read them? You don't even subscribe to the gossip columns, just the Third Attraction news, and that's mostly nonsense. Here's your coffee, just the way you like it.' The young woman handed him the cup with a smile.

'Thanks, Yuki. I guess I'm just fascinated by aliens, though these Lucifer Hawks aren't aliens in the usual sense according to these writers. The endless speculation about the people who fight them is also very funny some mornings. Here, read this.' The column looked like it had been written by an intern who had no hope of ever getting laid. He was speculating about the love lives of the various members of the AMP, the alleged secret police organization dedicated to fighting the Lucifer Hawks. The accompanying picture was a shot of several women standing against something not unlike the beast Alex had fought on the bridge. The author had somehow gotten the idea that one of the women in the picture–who had an uncanny resemblance to Yuki–was involved with another, a purple-haired young woman wielding a long golden staff.

'Where does this idiot get _that_ idea?' Yuki fumed; she seemed personally insulted by that idea.

'Calm down, Yuki. It's not like he's writing about you.' Alex pulled at his nose and pretended to be deep in though for a moment. 'Though that _would_ explain why Labyrinth's only open a few days out of the week…and why that girl right there looks so much like you.'

'Do I look like the type that can stand up to monsters like that?' She laughed. 'Anyway, that sort of thing isn't anyone else's business. I just think it's a little ridiculous that he'd bother making up stuff like that.'

Alex drank his coffee in silence as Yuki attended to a customer who'd just walked in. The silver-haired man turned to a page about the 'Silver Knight' who'd appeared in the skies over Tokyo several weeks ago. He (all 'knights' were assumed to be male, though the helm and armour made it impossible to determine gender) was supposedly a hero who used a mix of exotic magic and fast blades to defeat Lucifer Hawks. The story was mostly plagiarized from old novels, video games, and anime. Alex knew for a fact that the Knight hadn't fought for several days.

'That guy again? Half that paper must be about him alone! And they don't even know who he is.' Yuki exclaimed over Alex's shoulders.

'Well, they don't seem to have any shortage of ideas about who he might be. Some say he's a rogue AMP officer, though all the tabloids agree that they're all female. Others say it's a robot…though how a robot could use magic is beyond me. Some of those attacks they've photographed can't be replicated with current technology. One guy even says he's an alien bounty hunter who's after a specific Hawk, but can't distinguish it from all the others.' They both had a good laugh at _that_ idea, though the AMP proposal drew a giggle from Yuki.

'Say, what if you were the Silver knight? That would explain why you read about him and the Lucifer Hawks so much.'

'Me? Do I look like the warrior type to you?' Alex barked a laugh. 'I'm just a guy who thinks he saw something driving home from a club one night. Thanks for the coffee; I have to get going now. See you later.'

'Bye, Alex.'

That night, Alex was back at the Blue Flamingo. Despite the odd name, the bartender was the best in town and the DJ actually had decent taste in music. She mostly played oldies, mostly from the '60s. Around midnight, Alex staggered out of the door and towards his car. A streetlamp flickered overhead as he passed the dark alley beside the club. A deep woman's voice addressed him from the shadows.

'Hey, you. Get over here.' A vise-like hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him into the alley. It belonged to an almost mannish brunette in blue. Beside her stood a short girl with purple hair in two buns who gripped a curious golden rune-carved staff. Behind them stood a tall blonde with ice-cold blue eyes and an oversized gun.

'Who are you and what do you want with me?' Alex asked as calmly as if he'd been in a drawing room.

The brunette seemed to be the spokeswoman. 'We're with the AMP and we don't appreciate you taking over our business, Silver Knight.'

'You've got the wrong guy. I'm just someone trying to find his car and get home.' Something in the back of Alex's head told him that this wasn't real…perhaps just the slightest flaw in the bricks beside him or the utter absence of life besides the women and himself.

'Right. And we're Tooth Fairies.' The brunette lifted him by the throat. Alex's view of the world shattered like glass, dissolving into utter darkness for a moment. The streetlamp bulb exploded above him as he came to. Overhead, a man screamed. Alex translocated himself to the Blue Flamingo's roof (3). A man with knee-length purple hair knelt on the roof, clutching his head in agony. He was completely enveloped by a high-collared black cloak. Alex nudged him with his foot.

'Get up.' He ordered brusquely. 'You're lucky I didn't kill you when I broke that spell. I know a place where we can talk privately. Follow me if you can.' He dematerialized as the other man climbed to his feet. A few minutes later, a blue light flared from the top of Tokyo Tower (4). The black-robed man faded from sight.

Alex lounged on a girder of the arch under the first level of the Tower. The other man appeared standing in midair. The silver-haired man spoke first. 'You obviously know who I am, so I'll ask you, who are you? What do you want?'

'I am Ganossa Maximillian. I serve the Lord of Nemesis, who rules the Lucifer Hawk. I am here to make you an offer: join us and you will be richly rewarded. Continue to fight against us and your death is inevitable.'

Alex shrugged. 'I have little use for more material goods and even less for power. You could have made your offer directly, yet you chose to deceive me into believing the AMP was out for my blood. If you cannot even approach me openly, how will I trust you as an ally? I will defend myself if attacked, no more; I do not hunt Lucifer Hawks, but neither will I allow them to attack me nor will I allow them to slaughter innocents. I am curious, though: how did you find out that I was the one in the armour?'

'I have my ways. If your answer is that you will continue your war alone, I am afraid that this interview is at an end. When next we meet again, it will be as enemies.' Ganossa began to fade out, but Alex recalled him.

'Wait. Remember this: Odysseus defeated Ajax (5).' With those words, both men teleported away. Alex materialized in his own living room. 'Can't these servant of evil gods types come up with a new line? In an infinity of worlds, you'd think one of them could find something to say other than "Join us or die." Gods below, I need a bath after dealing with that creep.' He shambled down the hall to the bathroom. 'Alice, I've left Draco outside the Blue Flamingo. Recall him, will you?'

**Notes:** I'll be rewriting most of this fic over the next few months. I hope this version's better. The last edition feels a bit…lifeless and dry and I'd like to fix that.

1)I have no clue what this would taste like. Imitate at your own risk. The name means something like Hell fire if my Latin is correct (it's been a while since I took that one course).

2) For those of you unfamiliar with the Silent Mobius series, the moon is a crimson colour in the time of the series. At least, it is so part of the time.

3) 'Translocate' 'Teleport' (verb). It's a word I picked up from David Eddings' _Belgariad/Mallorean_ series.

4) It looks rather suspiciously like the Eiffel Tower with a red and white paint job. It is some 13 meters taller than the original, though.

5) _Odysseus defeated Ajax._ This line refers to one of the events after the end of the _Iliad_ but before the actual fall of Troy. After Achilles's death at the hands of Paris, the Greeks recovered his body and armour. At the funeral games held in his honour, his mother Thetis offered his arms as a prize. Both Ajax the Greater and Odysseus claimed them. Ajax was the strongest of the Greeks after Achilles, and Odysseus was the most cunning. Athena and several Trojan prisoners were called to judge between them (Athena, incidentally, was probably the most biased deity they could possibly have asked to judge). Odysseus got the armour and Ajax committed suicide over it. There's a reference to this in the _Odyssey_ when Odysseus meets Ajax and various famous dead people in the Underworld (Book 11 or 12, I think). Alex says this since his magic is based on knowledge and skill rather than raw power…you'll see why if you read on a few chapters. There's a play about this; _Ajax_ by Sophocles.


	2. Death

Ch 2: Death

The eternal rain beat down on Tokyo's streets. A silver-haired man made his way down the street wearing the heavy hood favoured by many travelers. He turned down a narrow alley and through a door set in a deep niche that hid it from the street. Within, sun shone from a cloudless sky on green grass and a small Grecian temple. Only the bare concrete walls surrounding the gentle park spoiled the illusion of summer.

The man strode slowly across the emerald lawn, up the steps, and through the bronze doors set between tall fluted pillars. The temple consisted of a single dim chamber lit only by a pair of iron braziers flanking the low stone altar. A black-cloaked man knelt before the God's statue, lavender hair spread in a pool about his feet.

'What are you doing here, Winter?' the supplicant snarled when he heard the newcomer's footsteps and saw who it was.

'I'm here for the same reason you are, Ganossa: I have come to consult with the oracle,' the older man replied calmly. 'Teles is the God of prophecy and stands neutral in all disputes. He refuses counsel to no one.'

'Perhaps, but you shall receive nothing from Him. Die!' Ganossa drew a slim sword from under his cloak and slashed at the other man's head. Alex blocked the blow with his left forearm and the ring of steel filled the temple. A small, stubby pistol flashed out from under Alex's jacket.

'Hold! Shed no blood on this sacred ground lest thou wake the God's wrath,' cried the ancient priest as he appeared behind the altar below the God's image. The two adversaries sheathed their weapons and turned to him. The sanctum ceiling blazed with a sudden light and the priest fell into a trance, staring into the light. After it passed, he spoke again. 'Teles has decreed that this doom be given unto both of ye together: The world approaches a time of decision, when the acts of men determine the path of Gaia. Beyond that point, no prophet is certain…ye both stand in the midst of this nexus and thy fates are unclear. This much is certain however: thy war draws to a close. When he who is dead walks new-healed, that shall be a sign the end is nigh.' The priest pointed at Ganossa. 'Unto thee, I pronounce this doom: thine greatest foes are sorcerers, but no spell shall slay thee. Strike at the heart of thine foes to splinter them.'

Alex's turn was next: 'And thou. The end of thy travels draws nigh and thy long quest is near achievement. Heed well thy dreams, for something of much import will come to thee in them. Go in peace and use well the god's gifts.'

Alex produced a blue stone the size of the first joint of a man's thumb from his pocket; the stone glowed as with an inner flame. Alex laid it on the altar and bowed low before leaving. Ganossa left a ruby of the same size as he teleported away.

A few weeks later, Alex pondered the seer's advice as he wandered one of Tokyo's residential districts on a cool and surprisingly clear June morning. _ 'Heed my dreams?' I've seen nothing special in them…memories of my wife and our year of peace; memories of a thousand battlefields and countless dark places…the same dreams I've been having for decades now. _ Absorbed in his thoughts, he ran into a woman with blue-purple hair who was just leaving an apartment building.

'I'm sorry; I wasn't watching.' Alex bowed awkwardly, noting that her eyes were the colour of her hair.

'Don't worry about it.' She laughed and walked off down the street.

_ She looks like that woman with the weird sword in those tabloid pics of the AMP. Could she…no; probably just a coincidence. _Alex continued his ruminations as he turned to leave. Magical energies flared in the building above him, accompanied by a familiar presence. The old mage disappeared with an oath down the nearest alley.

He teleported into a bedroom dominated by a queen-sized bed with white silk sheets. A blonde man lay in the blood-soaked bed, his body was missing from just below diaphragm to just above the hips. There was no sign of whatever had done it.

Alex held his hands over the body and made a number of odd gestures. The blood stopped flowing and the man's chest froze in midbreath. _ That should hold him for now. Now if only the doctors could do something…I know Ganossa is behind this somehow. _ He tapped an almost invisible button behind his right ear to activate the cortical shunt implanted in his skull. 'Alice, I've got a body here. He's been cut in half, but he's still alive. I've put him in stasis, but that will only last a few more minutes. I need you to move him into a full stasis tube. And bring a false body; it may be best if whoever did this believes that he succeeded.'

'Yes, sir.' A squad of squat blue robots rolled through a small portal that opened behind Alex. They gathered up the body and returned through the portal. A taller grey robot collected a few fragments of flesh from the bed. A few minutes later, the team of blue robots brought a second body back, virtually identical to the original. Alex followed them back through the portal to his own house. As soon as his foot touched the floor, he asked, 'Any idea who our guest is, Alice?

'Yes, sir; his fingerprints and retinal patterns match one Sgt. Robert de Vice of the Mobile Police, Division 1,' Alice reported, manifesting as a red-headed nurse, holding a holographic clipboard with the cop's data. 'I've sent him on to Ardonis Memorial for treatment. Cloning everything he needs, integrating the organs, and rehab will take several months. I should warn you now, sir, that this will not be cheap.'

'So, he's a cop…' Alex mused. 'I'm not going to ask how you accessed their files. Pay whatever the doctors ask…I have enough old loot sitting around to cover this. Sgt. de Vice is involved in this Lucifer Hawk mess and I want to know how.' Alex poured himself a drink before opening a portal to his rooms in the Hilton.

A lone man wandered a dark maze. He was slim and black-haired, not much above the average height. Just inside the entrance, he was pulled into a swirling blue vortex that cast him onto a battlefield. As he wandered, he met a woman, a brunette with broad shoulders and fiery grey eyes. They met again as he continued his wanderings and they enjoyed a brief time of peace together in a land lit by neither Sun nor Moon. Eventually, they left that land and arrived before a great marble fountain. Three lions supported a phoenix, whose wings sprayed a fine mist and whose beak jetted forth a dancing column of water. There the woman fell to a broad-winged beast with four arms. The man grieved but continued on. His path took him through countless battles, but no foe could slay him, not man, nor demon, nor star-born beast. His hair turned white and his armour changed from battered grey to dragon-headed silver. In time, he came to a grand hall lit by a crystal chandelier. The door in the opposite wall opened and a woman entered, silver-haired with blue-green eyes. Her long blue gown trailed on the floor as she ran to embrace him, saying breathlessly, 'I've finally found you–my destined love.'

With the logic of dreams, the man knew this to be true, that his journeys were ended now that he had found her. He lifted his face to kiss her and the gown slipped from her shoulders. A single crystal crashed against the floor, casting sharp shards to the dark corners. The woman retreated through the far door, whispering, 'Stay well until we meet again, my love.'

Alex drifted up from sleep, the feel of the kiss slowly fading from his lips. He was alone in his bed at the Hilton, as usual. The alarm clock on the nightstand read 12:10 AM. _ Who is she? That's the fifth night in a row I've had that dream…ever since I rescued that cop in Tokyo. Can there be a connexion? _ He stretched out his hand and pulled a glass of blue liquor from the air. _ If she's real and we are destined for each other, she'll probably turn out to be a short-lived mortal. This sorcery's gift of long life can be a curse at times. _Alex downed the drink at a gulp and sank into a dreamless sleep.

A woman walked through the streets of a dark brooding city. Her youthful face belied her silver hair, but her eyes held a deep sorrow. At first, another woman walked beside her, a younger woman with purple hair and scarlet eyes. Suddenly, the city roared with flames and the younger woman left. New companions appeared in her place, aiding the white-haired woman in her battles against the monsters that now appeared in the streets. One wielded a strange sword nearly twice her height and commanded magic beyond any other mortal's; another wore the white robes of a Shinto priestess; a third, auburn haired, tore through the monsters with her fists. In time, they approached a great building, dark and windowless. The other women gestured for her to enter alone. Within she found a dark chamber with a small table set for two. The woman found herself wearing a blue gown as the man at the table rose to greet her. His eyes were black, but almost her twin otherwise, slim and white-haired though young of face. The eyes, however, told of great age and much travail. The man spoke first, 'I've been waiting for you for so long. I am yours, heart and soul, now and forever.'

He sank to one knee to kiss her hand, holding it in his long pale fingers. The woman lifted him to his feet and kissed him. Their embrace would have lasted forever had a glass not suddenly shattered on the table. The man faded away, saying, 'We shall meet in truth anon.'

Rally Cheyenne woke reluctantly from the dream, trying to hold the man. She was not particularly tall, topping Alex by no more than an inch or two. A deep melancholy and even deeper resolve resided in her face. Her silver hair gave the impression of great age, though her face had seen no more than forty winters. When she opened her eyes, the clock at her bedside read 12:10. _ Who is he? I've had that dream five nights in a row now. What can it mean? _

_ It means that you need to find yourself a man… this one might be good if he's real. _ Replied a voice from the back of her head.

If_ he's real. I'm past the age for chasing after dreams. With Katsumi gone, I don't have time for this. Ganossa and the Lucifer Hawks will be making their move soon and we have to be ready for them. _

_Still, you _are_ a woman and have needs like any other. You made that lovely speech to the AMP about women bringing new life into the world. What about you? Will you ever give life to a child? _

_ Do you think any man could accept what I am? I'm half Lucifer Hawk; any child of mine will carry their blood. Who can love a half-breed like me? _

_ That man looked a lot like you, you know. Maybe he's another one like you and Rosa. _

_ I don't even know if he exists, so why worry about _that? The other voice had no answer for that. Rally dreamt again of the silver-haired man, a much more…private dream.

**Notes**: Angle brackets, , enclose characters' thoughts and internal dialogues.

Teles is pronounced 'Tell-**es'** with the accent on the second syllable if anyone cares to know.

There's a reason I've introduced Rally's other side. It'll become clear in the next chapter. The main reason I wanted to rewrite this fic is because I don't think I developed the relationship between Rally and Alex all that well.

This fic is mostly based on the manga storyline since it's the one most readily available to me. In that line, Roy died in June and the AMP was dissolved 6 months later in December…on Christmas Day, in fact. This also gives me some more time to deal with Alex and Rally later on. The characters' personalities are based more on the anime versions…though it'll probably be a weird blend of both.


	3. Waiting

**Ch3: Waiting**

'It's been quiet the past few months, hasn't it? I can't think of a single incident involving a Lucifer Hawk since the day I saved that cop. Speaking of him, what's the status on the organs we ordered?' The silver-haired man asked the air as he drank his coffee in his room at the Hilton.

A woman's voice replied in his ear, 'Almost all of them have finished growing, sir. However, it may take up to another two months to integrate all of them. The operation itself will be relatively short–the current estimate is ten hours at most, assuming no complications develop during surgery. After that, M. de Vice will need at least a month of rehab. However, the fact that he is officially dead in this world is a complicating factor.'

'I know.' Alex waved the AI's concerns aside, though she could not see the gesture. 'I'll discuss it with him after he's back in one piece. I'm going to the Blue Flamingo tonight. The bartender told me that he'll be serving a special drink menu for Halloween.'

'Sir, if all you're going to do is hang around in bars, I strongly suggest that you do it on another world. There's something going on; certain data–financial transactions, movements of government officials, and some strange energy readings around the city–give me the impression that someone is about to make a major move of some kind. You may become involved in it if you remain here.'

'I can take care of myself, Alice,' Alex replied stiffly. He continued, 'I've told you before: there's something I have to do here and someone I have to meet, and soon. I do not know when, but I _must_ remain on this world until I have completed the task that called me here.'

'Very well, sir. Just don't get yourself killed.' The AI sighed, resigned to being ignored.

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Alex left the hotel about an hour before midnight, making his way through dense costumed crowds. The night was overcast, but dry. Turning down a dark alley, Alex felt a strange pull on his body as he passed a leaking dumpster; looking down, he saw the pavement swirl like water as he slid into it. A moment later, he found himself standing on the roof of a long-abandoned skyscraper. A familiar cloak-wrapped figure stood on the far side. He seemed younger than when Alex had last met him.

'Good evening, Ganossa. I trust you've been well since our last meeting?' Alex bowed politely, giving no sign that his abduction had been anything extraordinary.

'You have become an inconvenience to my master. Of all the variables in our plan, you are the only one we cannot account for completely. You must be eliminated. Pyrus, spirit of fire, incinerate my foe! Boil his blood and sear his flesh!' Ganossa thrust his arm towards Alex. A river of fire burst from his hand towards the silver-haired man. Alex stood his ground and made no sign he even noticed the attack. The fire parted into two streams that flowed to either side of him.

'Not bad, but just a touch uncreative.' A globe of light blossomed between the older man's hands and flew at Ganossa. The purple-haired man spun to his right to avoid the attack, but the ball exploded beside him to form a hemispherical cage of lightning. He drew a sword from beneath his cloak and slashed at the cage to no avail.

'I stand in the darkness of night. Mighty Nox, deliver me from this prison!' The darkness gathered itself about Ganossa and pushed against the cage. It held for a few moments before shattering into hundreds of small lightning bolts that exploded against the roof and adjacent buildings. Ganossa shouted in rage, 'Fool! I can return each of your pathetic attacks a thousand-fold! Lord of Nemesis, send forth thine might to purge this place of the unclean!'

A shaft of purple light poured forth from his hands. Alex made a curious motion as if wrapping something about himself. The attack threw him back into the shed at one end of the roof, severely denting the brick wall. Alex stood slowly, his jacket smoking. 'Better, Ganossa. But power is not everything. Behold the Rainbow of Cthonis!'

Alex fired a salvo of fireballs, each a different colour. Almost all were absorbed or reflected by Ganossa's shield, but one blue fireball slid through and struck Ganossa in the chest, throwing him on his back.

'You forget the prophecy of Teles, Winter: No spell has the power to slay me.'

'Perhaps. But _this _is no spell.' Alex drew a small, blocky pistol from his coat and fired three bolts of burning plasma. Ganossa's shield absorbed them with no effect.

'No one shall oppose Nemesis and live! Await the AMP in Hell!' Ganossa rose into the air and launched a beam of light at Alex. The white-haired man teleported away just before it hit, and Ganossa immediately fired another beam. The two repeated this game for several minutes, with Alex's breath coming harder and harder with each round. Finally, Alex hid himself behind the shed and activated his link to Alice. _ Alice, can you hear me? _

_ Yes, sir. _

_ When I give the order, open a portal behind the man I'm fighting. _

_ I'm sorry, sir, but something seems to be distorting local space-time in a manner that prevents me from doing that. However, I did have Draco track your location. It's on the street below you. _

_ Good. _ Alex leapt over the small building and launched a spread of green fireballs at Ganossa. They detonated against his shield as Alex dove backwards over the edge of the roof. He fell into a padded leather seat, further cushioned by an antigravity field, as Ganossa fired blindly in all directions, several times missing Draco by mere inches. The car sped away under Alice's control as Alex slumped in the seat, breathing heavily.

'Are you alright, sir?' the AI inquired in a concerned voice.

'I'm fine; just tired and a little bruised. My magic takes a lot out of me, especially without Scorpio's power cells or the gems.' Alex absently rubbed his fingers where he usually wore his rings as he chewed on a wafer of sweet bread.

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Tokyo remained quiet for almost two months after that incident, except for occasional rioting. The tabloids gave up even inventing Third Attraction stories and reverted to celebrity gossip and conspiracy theories. Alex continued his barhopping life, waiting for some sign that his waiting was at an end. The day after Christmas, a notice went up in the Labyrinth window: 'Closed indefinitely.' A rumour quickly spread through the clientele stating that Yuki had been hospitalized. Alex sent flowers after her landlord, Toru Washio, confirmed the news a few days later.

'The Cheyenne Corporation has acquired full control of Tokyo's police department,' Alice reported one morning shortly after the New Year. 'This is a very odd move since it is notoriously unprofitable and Cheyenne appears to be no more than a front. I can't find anything more than an email address and the name of the CEO, Rally Cheyenne. She is also the sole owner of the corporation, which has extensive holdings in various fields of industry and finances. The tabloids have linked her to the AMP, but I have no credible data.'

'I see. If the AMP is mainly dedicated to fighting the Lucifer Hawks, the past few months must have been hard on it. With the Hawks gone or hiding, they might have a hard time getting funding. Do you have anything else on this Rally Cheyenne?'

'Not much, sir. She is the commander of Precinct 00, but data relating to that precinct is too heavily guarded for me to acquire it discretely.' Alex considered this silently for a moment before changing the subject.

'How much longer will we have to wait before Ardonis Memorial is ready to perform the operation on Sgt. De Vice?'

'Early February at the latest, according to Dr. Zymanic. There is almost no precedent for such an operation. Transplanting cloned organs and limbs is almost routine now, and transplanting a brain into a cloned body is becoming accepted, but cloning a segment of the torso has never been attempted before. The doctors have had a difficult time integrating all the organs, muscles, and other necessary tissues. The fact that fragments of several organs are still present further complicates the procedure. There should be almost no chance of rejection, but they are concerned about subtle differences between the existing body and the cloned parts. The spinal cord is an especially big concern. According to the team's neurologist, Dr. Zaitan, there is a small chance that Sgt. De Vice may never walk again under his own power.'

'Is there anything else happening in Tokyo now?' asked Alex.

'The energy readings I mentioned in October have intensified, and they're definitely artificial in origin. However, I have been unable to discover just what is producing them.' A map of Tokyo appeared in the air above the table where Alex was eating breakfast. A ring of dots represented the anomalies.

'If I didn't know better, I'd say it resembled a large-scale particle accelerator. But those things generally don't give off that much radiation. Perhaps it's some sort of reactor...but why would anyone secretly build a giant reactor underground? This must have taken a lot of time and money…and construction would've been almost impossible to hide….' Alex's voice trailed off as he considered the possibilities.

'Do you wish me to investigate further, sir? I can deploy a team of tunneling robots in one of the abandoned districts.'

'No, I don't think that whoever is behind this would appreciate company. Those robots are technically the property of House Jaddo; I don't need to get on Lord Jaddo's bad side.'

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Two weeks later, Alex drove around downtown Tokyo searching for a decent club. The operation to rebuild Robert de Vice had begun that morning and he felt like celebrating. Unfortunately, the Blue Flamingo's bartender had gotten busted for something or other and the new guy just wasn't any good; the Black Cat's DJ was on vacation and the fill-in had no taste; and the Phoenix was just too crowded for private drinking. The red moon was riding full and high when Alice contacted him around midnight. 'Sir, Draco's sensors have detected what appears to be a Lucifer Hawk about a mile from you.' A red dot appeared on the dashboard map display.

'Good. I need some action tonight.'

'Good hunting.' Scorpio's plates emerged from various compartments in the cabin and fitted themselves around their master. Alex got out in a dim alley and Draco cloaked to await his return. The silver-clad knight floated silently over the pavement, following the faint trail of exotic chemicals the Hawks exuded. Several turns later, he found himself in a narrow cul-de-sac with a fire escape twisting up the building on his right. A narrow grey spindle about the height of a man hung from the fire escape five stories up. As Alex approached, it unfolded to reveal an eyeless humanoid face attached to a pale, slender body. A pair of scythe-like claws hung folded at its side under the broad membranous wings. It screamed as it dove: a high, grating sound that spoke of shredded flesh, wounded pride, and thwarted dreams.

Alex spiraled away from the diving Hawk, pulling a soda-can-sized cylinder from his waist. A shake expanded it into a tall staff topped with a heavy, curved broadsword. The Hawk recovered from its dive, somehow hovering with its wings curled around itself in the narrow space. It screeched again, lower this time, causing Alex's view of the world to ripple. _ Damn it! I hate sonic attacks: they always leave me with a headache the next morning. _

He charged the creature, holding his weapon like a lance as he flew. The Hawk shot straight up to dodge, but Alex spun onto his back and brought the lance around in a broad arc. Viscous green blood and shreds of pale flesh spewed into the night. Alex pulled himself into a standing position as the Hawk landed with a sickening splat. Golden flames flowed from his hands, consuming the corpse. The world rippled again as the last sliver of alien plasm shriveled in the blaze. _ The hell? _

Alice's concerned voice sounded in his head. _Sir? What happened? Your comm signal disappeared for two hours! _

_ What? Damn. That Hawk must've had the ability to warp time. What's going on? _

_ You will be able to see for yourself if you climb over the buildings around you. _ Alex took the AI's advice and slowly floated upwards. The sky glowed with a flickering orange light, unusual for late hour. Above the rooftops, Alex saw that much of Tokyo was in flames; the air above a shattered stadium shimmered with the heat of the lava now within. _ A new volcano? But there hasn't been any seismic activity for months. _

An alarm shrieked in his ear, interrupting his thoughts and causing him to instinctively drop below the rooftops. A crackling bar of red energy blasted through the air where he'd stood. A skyscraper exploded a mile away. Examining the scene more closely, Alex noted that the Hilton still stood, though its neighbors were shattered flaming hulks. As he watched, a second bar of light shot from the east to demolish the top floors of the Hilton. Fortunately, Alex hadn't been keeping anything important or valuable in his room.

To the east, an enormous Lucifer Hawk was fused to a building; in fact, it seemed to be growing from the very concrete. A slick, wormlike head swayed above a powerful body whose broad wings dwarfed the structure. The map overlay on Scorpio's helmet screens marked it as Police Station 00. A small silver dart shot away from the Hawk just before a lance of golden fire struck from heaven. When Alex's eyes recovered from the glare, the Hawk was still standing. A woman had appeared on a shattered rooftop some blocks away.

Brilliant golden light surrounded her, making it difficult to make out the colour of her hair or details of her face. A voluminous black cape billowed around her, occasionally revealing the outfit she wore beneath it. A collection of leather straps and knee-high boots, it appeared to provide little protection against the biting wind.

_ Those female mages always do like to show off their bodies. This one's not bad-looking, though. _ thought Alex as he watched her. The woman raised her hands and a long, slim object flew to her. It resembled a small dragon, though a very stiff-bodied and emaciated dragon. She leveled it at the Hawk as though it were a personal cannon. Alex could tell that she was chanting a spell of some kind, but the distance, the Hawk's roars, and the wind prevented him from catching any of it. The Hawk gathered itself with great effort and launched a bolt of crackling energy at the woman as she finished the spell. A spear of argent light, resembling the moon that once shone on this world, shot from the her staff, driving through the Hawk's attack and piercing its body. The light spread over the Hawk's body like a stain absorbed by cloth. It glowed silver for a few seconds and then dispersed as a radiant mist. The woman collapsed where she stood, drained by the spell and the night's events. Alex prepared to fly to her when he spotted the AMP's silver cruiser moving in. He discretely opened a portal to his own home and left.

It was the first night in a long time that he did not dream of the maze and silver-haired woman.

**Notes:** (spoilers ahead)

Alright, I'll confess: I'm using a strange timeline of my own creation that is marginally related to the manga line, but which also incorporates a bit of the anime's storyline (e.g., the timing of Lum Cheng's arrival). I set Roy's 'death' and Katsumi's disappearance in June, 2029, as per vol.7 of the manga. Katsumi returns at Christmas 2029, with the destruction of Station 00 (basically the last few episodes of the anime and vol. 9-11 of the manga) taking place around the end of January. I'm using Lum Cheng's anime personality…and the hair colours for the cast also come from there (if you don't understand why I specify this, don't worry about it). Oh, and Toru survives in the manga storyline for those who care. From here on out, it's almost all me.

I may be taking down the later chapters after I complete the next one. My new version has a few things that aren't quite consistent with the first version. I apologise for any inconvenience.

If you want to use Alex in your own writing for some reason, please email me about it before you start writing. There's an address in my profile for that purpose. I don't expect much more than just acknowledgement that I created him…and a statement that I had nothing to do with the fic you wrote.


	4. Memory

Ch4: Memory

'The proof of your life with Roy is inside you, Katsumi.' Fuyuka said gently, laying one hand on her daughter's midriff.

'Oh!' The younger woman's blue-purple eyes teared up as she embraced her mother. 'I wish I could stay, but it's not my time yet, is it?' She hugged each person one last time and turned away. The moon glittered in her blue hair as she strode downhill through the tall grass. She faded into the moonlight as they watched.

'I suppose I should get going, too. I don't belong here any more than she does,' declared the blond man. The other man on the hill nodded.

'Please watch over her, Roy. She is all that remains of Fuyuka and myself in this world,' rumbled the dark-haired man. His face was deeply worn by care and labour, but he stood unbowed by his wife as Roy left by the path Katsumi had taken.

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'Good evening. How do you feel?'

'Who are you? Where am I?' asked the blond cop as he opened his azure eyes. He felt like he'd been asleep for a lifetime despite the dull ache in his midsection.

'Do you remember your name?' his white-coated interrogator persisted. The man wore small square-framed glasses over green eyes.

'I'm…Sergeant Robert DeVice of the Tokyo Police Department, Mobile Division One,' the cop murmured slowly. The other man nodded and scrawled something on his clipboard.

'I am Dr. Zymanic, Chief of Medicine at Ardonis Memorial Hospital,' the medico introduced himself and the silver-haired man behind him. 'Mr. Winter brought you here in critical condition. It was not easy, but my staff managed to keep you among the living.'

'But…how?' Robert rubbed one hand over his abdomen. 'The last thing I remember is Ganossa standing over me with that girl and my guts exploding.'

'It took a long time, but the hospital managed to clone the organs and other tissues needed to rebuild you. Over seven months have passed since I brought you in, Sergeant de Vice. You spent almost the entire time in stasis, which prevented you from bleeding to death in the meantime.'

'Six months…. Katsumi should be due in a couple months, then. I wonder if it's a boy or girl?' The doctor looked to the other man, who shook his head.

'You seem to be recovering quite well, Sergeant. Barring any complications, you should be released by the end of the week.' The cop murmured his thanks and drifted off to sleep.

Robert next opened his eyes to find a comely green-haired nurse setting a cold breakfast by his bed. She lifted her head at the rustle her patient made sitting up. 'Ah, you're awake, Mr. DeVice. I am Alia. I'll be back for the tray in half an hour. Press that button on the table if you need anything.'

The cop picked suspiciously at the meal–he'd eaten hospital food before–but his enthusiasm grew after only a few bites. The tray was empty well before the half-hour was up and he wanted more. Alia returned with the silver-haired man from the previous day. She responded to Robert's request for seconds with doctors' orders that he not overtax his new stomach by eating too much too soon. The man stayed after the nurse left and looked expectantly at the cop. Finally, Robert said, 'Alright, who are you and just where am I? No hospital has food that good.'

'Most don't,' the other man concurred. His face was vaguely Asian, but his accent was English (1). 'But this one is a little unusual. I am Alex de Winter, and you are at Ardonis Memorial Hospital. As for where that is, just take a look.' Alex walked to the window and opened the blinds to reveal rolling plains bound by mist-clad mountains on the horizon.

'I'm not in Tokyo, am I? I didn't think there was anywhere left like this.'

'No, you're not. How familiar are you with the concept of parallel universes, Mr. DeVice?'

'Please, call me Roy.' The cop sat up. 'A lot of Katsumi's–my girlfriend's–old anime use that idea. What does it have to do with me?'

'You're no longer on your Earth, Roy. This hospital is on one of its alternates, one where hospitals don't try to poison patients after saving them.' The two shared a laugh and the older man continued, 'Don't worry; we can get you back where you belong.' Dr. Zymanic entered to examine his patient and coax him off the bed. Roy stood easily, though his legs were a little unsteady from lack of use. Alex withdrew, promising to return the next day.

'How did I get here? Ganossa left me for dead on my bed.' Roy was walking now, only two days after waking up. The two sat in what passed for a lounge, a bare concrete room with a television and a pair of self-sterilizing armchairs.

Alex beckoned and the remote floated to him from across the room. 'I acquired certain powers in my travels. Putting you into stasis, even for the few moments before you were transferred to a real stasis unit, taxed them greatly. I felt the power Ganossa used when he tried to kill you, and I translocated myself into your apartment to investigate(2).

'That was June of last year. It's almost February now. The main problem with sending you home is the fact that you are legally dead on your home world. If you decide to go home, you'll need a new identity, a new life. You can stay at my house while you decide, if you wish. It's big enough for two bachelors.'

'Thank you, Alex. Katsumi's probably waiting for me. She's always mad if I'm late for something.'

'That's probably just her way of showing she cares about you.' The older man smiled and looked down at his watch. 'Dr. Zymanic told me to have you back by two; he wants to make sure you are fit to leave.' Flower-scented fluid trickled silently over the chairs after the door closed.

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_Flowers?_ Rally thought upon awakening in the dark. A vase of red flowers stood on the table by her bed. Pale, delicate hands set the last one in place. 'Rosa?'

The younger Cheyenne was dressed much as she had when she left for Nemesis: pale blue blouse with a yellow skirt and kerchief. 'You're awake, Sister. I'm sorry for what I've done to you. I've been so selfish all these years.' Rosa collapsed onto her sister's shoulder, tears in her eyes.

Rally wrapped her arms around her sister. 'I'm sorry, too, Sister. I neglected you all those years, too caught up in my plans to fight the Lucifer Hawks, to fight Ganossa.'

'B–b–but I tried to _kill_ you! How can you forgive me so easily?'

'Because you're still my sister. And because…because of what I've done to you. If I hadn't been so distant, if we'd been closer…' Rally pulled her sister closer and buried her face in Rosa's purple hair.

Rosa broke the embrace. She wiped the tears from her face and smiled. The two talked for hours until Rosa finally pulled away. They talked about old friends, their days in school, but said nothing about more recent events.

'Good-bye, sister. My time here is over.'

'Wait, Rosa!' Rally's hand shot out to grab her sister's wrist as the younger woman stood to leave. Rosa's light lavender hair fell across her crimson eyes as she turned back.

'Mother and Father are waiting for me. You must stay here to finish what they started. Don't worry; you've found people who will stand beside you. If you don't finish it, who will?' she added as her sister opened her mouth to protest. 'I have to leave now, but I'll always watch over you.'

'Good-bye, Rosa. I will live to do what needs to be done.' The younger woman faded away when Rally let go. Rally sank back into her bed with tears in her eyes. Old Avalanche Wong standing beside her heard the words, but did not understand.

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'I've been meaning to ask you: how did you get involved with the Lucifer Hawks? They came after me because of my connexion to Katsumi. I've heard that her father was also involved with them somehow.'

The older man stirred his soup silently before answering, 'I was attacked by one a few weeks before I found you. I have been attacked several times since then.' He sighed. 'That's not all, though. I believe that I've been in this world before, many years ago–Yes, thank you. I'll have the strawberry mousse,' Alex dismissed the waiter before continuing in a heavy, half-dreaming voice. 'It was about thirty years ago…my wife and I were wandering the worlds after our wedding–'

'You're married!' The older man wore no rings, and Roy had never seen anyone else in the rambling mansion.

'I was, once, a long time ago. She's gone now.' Alex wiped something from one eye–dust, he said. The waiter delivered dessert and left without a word.

'I'm sorry. It's never easy losing someone close to you. I hope Katsumi didn't do anything regrettable after I was gone.'

'The city has been…unsettled lately.' Alex changed the subject. 'The people know that something's going on, but only the tabloids will say anything about it, and they are just speculating. The government is scheduled to make an announcement in a few hours about what happened last week. I've shown you the footage: the first undeniable proof of the Lucifer Hawks' existence. If they decide to fight the Hawks, the police and military will probably be recruiting heavily, so you might be able to join them again.'

'I dunno…it's a way to get back together with my old friends, but being dead makes it kinda hard.' Alex nodded silently and waved for the check.

'I'll do what I can to help. New identification, a little starting money, everything you need to start a new life.'

'Thanks, Alex. I don't know why you're doing this, but thank you.'

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'Ladies and gentlemen, the Prime Minister.' The newscast cut to a heavyset balding man in an impeccable suit behind a podium. He adjusted his glasses and bowed to the camera before beginning his speech.

'Thank you. People of Japan, I have grave news today. The devastation of Tokyo last week was caused by a Lucifer Hawk, a being from a world we call Nemesis. For many years, the government of Japan has been at war with these creatures. This war has been carried on in secret in order to prevent mass panic. However, secrecy is no longer possible.

'An organization known as the Attacked Mystification Police has been in the forefront of this battle for the last six years (4). Based in Police Station 00, this unit is the only force capable of standing against the Lucifer Hawk. Composed solely of women, the AMP has courageously defended this nation and suffered greatly in last week's disaster.'

'Our research efforts have yielded new weapons effective against the Lucifer Hawks. Armed with these weapons, the Mobile Police will be attached to the AMP to aid them in ending this war. In addition, the city of Tokyo will be evacuated within a month. Detailed instructions will be issued shortly. Please remain calm and leave the city in an orderly fashion. The government will do everything in its power to ensure the swift and triumphant conclusion of this conflict.'

The Prime Minister left the podium and a severely dressed, green-haired woman took his place. The new speaker shouted down the reporters' questions and began a prepared statement. 'I am Mana Isozaki, commander of the AMP. Last week, our headquarters was destroyed in an unprecedented Lucifer Hawk attack. Almost all of our members were injured in the attack, including the founder and Director of the AMP, Rally Cheyenne.' A portrait of a woman with silver hair and green eyes popped up beside Mana.

'No…it can't be…' Alex gaped at the screen.

'What are you talking about?' Roy looked at him curiously.

'Nothing…I've had some strange dreams lately. That picture brought them back to me, that's all.' Alex shook his head and fell silent as Mana continued her speech. The rest of the crowd staring at the giant screen suspended above the square took no notice of the episode.

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'Do you really think that sending Mobile Police against the Lucifer Hawk is such a good idea, Rally?' Mana asked as she entered the limo. Rally had watched the speeches on the vehicle's TV.

'We have no choice,' the older woman replied. 'Mages are rare and we don't have time to search for them. Besides, the people know them. Their presence will calm the city, let them know we're dealing with the problem.' Unfortunately, deploying armoured policemen against the Lucifer Hawks was a stopgap measure at best: magic could only be met with magic.

'The hospital has informed me that Lebia, Lum Cheng, and Nami will be released within a week. The AMP will be at full strength soon,' the green-haired woman reported. She was holding something back, some fact she would not say. Rally said it for her.

'If Katsumi and Yuki come back, you mean?' The older woman rubbed her temples. She continued, 'We cannot win the coming battle without Katsumi's power or Yuki's foresight, but I can't force either of them to come back. We can only hope that they can bring themselves to face the darkness one last time.'

'And if they cannot?'

'Then we must go into battle without them. We have our own powers, after all.' _But Katsumi's are so much greater…_.

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'It's been thirty years since I lost you. I swore to avenge you before your body was cold. Thirty years I've searched, and for what? All I've found is loneliness and cold.' The corpse gave no reply; the dead rarely said much. She lay on a low marble bier carved with leaves and stars. Long chestnut locks framed a peaceful face that seemed merely asleep. A delicate nose with well-arched nostrils and full coral lips seemed almost to breath in the dim tomb. Long-fingered hands clasped the hilt of the crystal sword resting between her breasts. Its point divided her feet.

The silver-haired man standing over her continued after a long silence, 'This is the right world; I can feel it. I go now to face my last battle…by the dawn, either you will have been avenged or I shall have joined you.' He bowed low to the woman on the bier, fist to heart, and walked out of the mausoleum onto a broad lawn lit by the silver moon. A grove of cherry trees, already budding though it would be months before they flowered, stood to his right. The Jaddo mansion reflected the moonlight from its myriad windows. It was built in the style of a French nobleman's chateau, combining beauty with defensibility.

Alex laid one hand on a marble column beside the door as though bidding his home farewell and translocated himself into the armoury. Scorpio awaited its master at the far side. Alex donned the massive cuirass, rendered weightless by the antigrav generators built into the suit, then strapped on the limbs. The helm retracted into a thick collar, blue gems glowing faintly at his throat. The armour sealed itself, nano-machines knitting together at the seams.

'Alice, if Roy asks where I am, tell him that I'm just out for a little fresh air.'

'Yes, sir.' Alex tapped a command into the console set into the wall. A golden portal shimmered into existence, opening into the skies above Tokyo. He stepped through the portal and fell several feet before Scorpio's antigravs arrested his fall. The crimson moon dyed his hair a deep blood-red as he drifted north, following an unexplainable pull. After a quarter hour or so, neon-lit skyscrapers gave way to rubble and shattered roads. A little later, Alex found himself over an open area surrounded by fallen buildings and felled trees. Waving grass obscured the remains of sidewalks and benches. _This…it's a park. Can it be_ that _park?_

Alex landed gently in the grass and wandered bemused through the park. Fallen trees lay in the long grass, waiting to trip unsuspecting travelers. Following a track of broken concrete, he came to a fountain: three marble lions supported a phoenix above a deep basin. Water had once poured from the lions' mouths and jetted from the phoenix's beak. Now bare marble gleamed red beneath the moon. A sudden cold wind stirred the leaves that had collected in the basin and whipped Alex's hair about his face. He stretched out one gauntleted hand to stroke the cold stone. A tear rolled down his cheek, sparkling in the light. _This fountain…I've been here before._ _This is the world I've been seeking for so long. Only one thing is missing._ His face set into a stony mask.

A globe of black fire appeared on the other side of the fountain, consuming a patch of grass about two yards across. A tall grey and blue Lucifer Hawk stepped from the heart of the blaze. The creature stood a head taller than Alex and it was a full four feet through the shoulders.

Alex strode warily around the fountain and greeted the Lucifer Hawk coldly. 'We meet again at last, demon. Only one of us will leave this place alive tonight.'

Scarlet eyes with cruciform pupils turned to regard him curiously. 'Who are you, human, that you would address me so? I am Kylos Mandragoran, a lord among the Lucifer Hawk. Many years have passed since I was last here. You are too young to remember me.'

'Does this help?' Alex spread his hands and the gems at his throat blazed with a cold blue flame.

A silver spark floated between them and expanded into a sunlit image of the park. The grass was mowed, the trees still stood green and tall, and the fountain danced in the sun. A young couple sat on a bench, watching the wind and sun play among the leaves. The man resembled Alex, though his hair was black and short, and his face not so worn by travel and battle. The woman had long chestnut hair and sparkling blue eyes. Another couple walked down the path by the fountain. Suddenly, Kylos materialized in a globe of black fire. One clawed arm shot out and seized the walking woman. The woman beside Alex drew a gleaming sword of azure crystal from the air and severed the arm with a single stroke. The younger Alex drew a small, blocky silver pistol from his jacket and fired a bolt of blazing red plasma into the Lucifer Hawk's side as it raised its remaining arm to smite the woman crouched before it. The shot exploded against alien flesh, forcing the creature back momentarily. The woman regained her feet and shook off her husband's attempt to restrain her. She charged with her sword held out to one side. A slender spiked tentacle shot out from the Hawk's arm and pierced her heart. A second plasma bolt cut the fleshy thread and the woman fell to ground. A shot aimed at the Hawk itself exploded harmlessly against an invisible barrier. The man retreated through a golden portal as the Hawk regenerated its missing arm.

'That happened on this very spot thirty years ago, demon. Do you deny that you were there?' The broadsword-topped staff blossomed in Alex's hand and he leveled it at the Hawk.

'So you were that stripling?' The creature convulsed with laughter. 'You were less than an insect then, and you're no more than an insect now!'

'I am Alex de Winter, and your time of reckoning has come.' Blue flames danced on the blade's edge as he assumed a new stance.

00000000000000000000000000000000

'Director! We've detected a Category One Lucifer Hawk in the abandoned districts north of the city!' The intercom on Rally's desk crackled to life, jolting her out of a light sleep.

'I'll meet you in the Simurgh hanger in five minutes, Kiddy.' Rally yawned. _Only two weeks since Station 00 was destroyed and another one shows up._ She turned on the intercom again and ordered, 'Don't bother informing the Mobile officers. They're no match for a Category One.' The armoured officers wore the silver suits they'd worn during the disastrous attempt to retake Station 00; that episode had demonstrated just how ineffective armour was against Lucifer Hawks. _I wish Katsumi had decided to come back…I'm not sure we can face something like this in our condition._

The Simurgh sat waiting in its hanger as mechanics swarmed over its aft portion. The starboard engine refused to start; the crew chief said it would be fixed in a matter of minutes. Four women half-filled the great silver ship's cabin: Rally; Lebia Maverick, the blonde pilot; Kiddy Phenil, a muscular brunette whose hair appeared a deep red in the cabin lights; and Lum Cheng, the young Chinese elementalist.

00000000000000000000000000000000

Alex thrust his weapon into the air. 'Mjolnir, smite! (5)' Seven bolts of lightning sprang from the blade and converged on Kylos. The Hawk's shield easily deflected the attack. The damp grass failed to ignite, but a few patches smouldered sullenly.

'You'll need more than parlour tricks to defeat me, human.' Alex translocated away from Kylos's brutal slash and struck from behind with his heavy blade. Green ichor splattered his armour as Kylos fell, missing a leg.

'You have much to learn of our kind if you believe that such a wound will hinder me.' The creature raised itself up on its arms. Alien flesh rippled, remolding itself to form two additional arms and a new leg. The severed limb melted and flowed back to its owner. Kylos sprang away from another blow of Alex's lance. Four golden balls of light gathered in its hands. Alex assumed a defensive stance, lance lowered against a charge.

Four bolts of golden lightning leapt from Kylos' arms and joined into a larger blast. An actinic barrier flared before Alex's outstretched hand. The Hawk's lightning struck the barrier in a silent flash. When Kylos' vision cleared, he was surrounded by a dozen identical men in bulky silver armour. 'A transparent illusion, human. I know there is only one of you.'

The twelve smiled in unison and raised their weapons, chanting softly, 'Fire flows through my veins, thunder shrouds my ears. The light of sun and moon are bound to my blade. By these powers, I command thee: Salamander, strike!'

As one, the men struck the ground with the butts of their staves. Twelve waves of crimson fire blended with gold and silver light converged on Kylos. The Hawk responded with a single blast of sapphire light that pierced the wall of flame and exploded against one man's armour. The man flew several feet and slid to a halt against a fallen tree, blood trickling through his silver hair. The others faded like mist in the sun; the fire died instantly.

00000000000000000000000000000000

'Antigravs have failed! Brace yourselves!' The slender silver ship lurched and fell several stories before Lebia stabilized the craft. Fortunately, Simurgh was in the deserted districts, clear of Tokyo's skyscrapers.

'Lebia, what happened?' Rally demanded.

'I don't know, Director. I'm running back the sensor logs now. There was a complex wave of electromagnetic radiation and exotic particles just before I lost control. My guess is that it neutralized our antigrav system somehow.'

'Could it have been an attack?'

'I don't think so…not at this range.' The ship was still two kilometers from the battle. Its sensors also detected an unknown power source in the same area, along with occasional surges of energy. 'It looks like someone's fighting the Category One. We may have been hit by some sort of shockwave from one of their attacks.'

'Find a place to land, Lebia, and send out a probe. I need to know what we're dealing with here.'

00000000000000000000000000000000

'Four ways, five stars, six days, seven scars… (6)' Kylos clasped his arms to his chest and chanted in a low voice. Alex pulled himself to his feet and peered intently at the Hawk. _He's casting something…it seems to be an imprisoning spell of some sort._

'Fire, water, earth, air. Atee Amaruto Be Jeblar Be Dedular Lu Orlam Amen.' The Hawk finished his spell and a column of light sprang from the ground surrounding Alex. He hung in midair from an invisible cross. _I need someway to distract him while I break this spell._ He suddenly lurched forward, nodding his head in Kylos' direction. 'Quiet, demon. The neighbors are trying to sleep.'

A Steinway grand piano dropped from the sky above Kylos' head. The Hawk staggered under the impact of a half-ton of steel, wood, and wire. Alex took advantage of his foe's momentary confusion to cut through his magical bonds and retrieve his lance. Kylos cast off the wreckage and roared, 'Die, human!' as he unleashed a massive blast of crackling energy.

Alex leapt over the attack and dove at the Hawk spear first. Again, four bolts of lightning formed in the creature's hands and joined into one. Alex rolled to his right; but the bolt caught his left shoulder, sending him spinning into a dead tree. The trunk snapped under his armour and splinters tore at his scalp. Green gel oozed from the shattered shoulder, though Alex's arm was unharmed and Scorpio's arm still functioned. Alex cursed softly as Scorpio warned him that its power reserves were down to 50. A second bolt struck as he tried to stand, but he managed to raise a barrier in time. _I can't hold this for long._ Kylos poured more power into the attack, pushing Alex through the remains of the tree.

The Hawk roared in pain and shock. A gleaming spear of ice had thrust from the ground to impale the creature several feet in the air.

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'Grrrrrrrrrrr! That's the third probe we've lost without getting anything back!' Lebia growled in frustration. Every probe she'd sent out had had its circuits fried by some sort of energy surge within a hundred yards of Simurgh. The ship itself was only lightly armed for its size and no match for a Category One (7).

'You tried, Lebia. That's all anyone can do. Kiddy, Lum Cheng, and I will be going in on foot from here.' Rally laid one hand on the blonde's shoulder and motioned for the other two to precede her down the ramp.

'Yes, ma'am.'

'Do you really think we'll be able to take on a Category One, Director?' Kiddy hefted her oversized Graviton and looked around for any sign of other Lucifer Hawks.

'There's only one way to find out. What do you think, Lum Cheng?'

'Katsumi was strong enough to defeat a Category One. I…I don't know if we are. I don't feel any other Lucifer Hawks around, though.'

'I don't either. Let's go.' As Rally gave the order, the ground shook beneath them and a powerful shockwave threw them off their feet.

00000000000000000000000000000000  
_  
Damn. If I don't end this soon, the power cells will fail and then I won't be able to move. I'm too tired to do much magic on my own._ The suit weighed over a ton and no wearer could move it without servos and antigravs. Alex's magic had drained the power supplies to 30; storage gel was still leaking from the hole in the left shoulder plate. Alex closed with Kylos to engage the Hawk with his lance. A heavy overhanded blow severed the two right arms; black fire consumed the fallen limbs. Kylos countered with the claws on his left arms. Green gel spurted from holes in Scorpio's cuirass. 'Curious. I thought humans bled red,' the Hawk commented.

'What does it matter? Whatever the colour of my blood, I will still kill you!' Alex raised his lance over his head and struck the ground. A rainbow of flames blossomed below his feet, twisting into an intricately woven whirlwind around the two combatants. Alex thrust his spear into the Hawk's throat with a wild cry. The whirlwind's top collapsed inwards into a fiery lance. It fell through Kylos and consumed his flesh. The fire exploded against the ground, casting shards of phantom flame into the grass. The blast threw Alex several feet through the air. He slid to a halt below the dry fountain.

A moment later, Alex rose to his feet with the aid of his lance. The weapon was unscathed by the fiery maelstrom. He whispered, 'It is finished,' and sank to the ground beneath the phoenix's wings.

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'What!' Lum Cheng shouted. 'That Category One just disappeared! Could someone have defeated it?'

'If he's still around, I think we should take him in and ask him a few questions,' Kiddy suggested.

'Let's get back aboard the Simurgh. It'll be faster, and we shouldn't have any more trouble with the antigravs if the Lucifer Hawk is gone,' Rally ordered. The ship landed in the park minutes later. A silver-haired man in silver armour lay unconscious below a marble fountain. The armour's outrageously bulky shoulder and chest plates almost completely swallowed the man inside. Most of the left shoulder was missing and the breastplate was pierced in several places. Green gel oozed slowly from the wounds. Red blood stained the hair.

'Do you think he's human? I've never met anyone who bled green before,' Kiddy grabbed the man under the arms to drag him aboard.

'He's human. The blood on his scalp is red, at least,' Lebia pointed out. 'That green gel looks a little like the stuff they use in the new flexible batteries.'

'Kiddy, get him into the medical bay. Lebia, try to identify him,' Rally ordered. 'If he isn't in the police or immigration databases, I'll question him when he wakes up'

Alex stirred as Kiddy threw him into the medical bay's narrow cot. He muttered a few words and his armour whirred slightly, but the officer took no notice. Lebia gently pulled one eye open for a retinal scan.

'Director, I have a match.' The blonde handed her superior a short printout. 'Alex de Winter. Our records show he entered Tokyo about a year ago on a Taipei passport. I can't find anything earlier than that, though.'

'Taipei,' Rally mused as she stared at the man lying in the medical bay. 'It's said that anything can be obtained for the right price in that city Any number of fugitives have tried to adopt new identities with Taipei passports. Still, this man may be on our side.' _De Winter…that's a good name. If he really did defeat that Category One, we'll need him on our side when the real battle starts._

_Is that the only reason you want him around?_ asked the voice in the back of her head.

**Notes**:

1) About Alex's accent…the specific accent I have in mind is Jason Carter's. He played the Ranger Marcus on Babylon 5. If you don't know what he sounds like, just substitute Q from the Bond films.

2) Translocate means the same as teleport; it comes from a series of fantasy novels by David Eddings.

_3) Connexion _is an alternate spelling of _Connection; _it is a peculiar spelling, but I like it.

4) According to the manga, the AMP was founded in 2023…I think that their insignia says the same thing (that shield that appears before each episode). The manga lists 1999 as the date of Project Gaia.

5) Mjolnir is the hammer of Thor, the Norse thunder god. The handle is a bit short due to Loki's interference during the forging (long story…he had a rather large bet riding on a smithing contest between two dwarves), but it always returns to his hand after he throws it.

6) Kylos' spell comes from vol. 7 of the manga; it's the one Ganossa cast on Katsumi to capture her. The font is not easy to read, but the words should be pretty close to the original. The effects are related to the one Ganossa used on Katsumi in the anime…but it's been a while since I saw that episode.

7) On page 27 of vol. 11 of the manga, the Simurgh is shown firing about a dozen laser cannon (or something similar) mounted on its dorsal surface. As that is a rather inconvenient location for mounting weapons, that may be little more than a plot device.

Please overlook anything in the next few chapters that seems to be inconsistent with this one. I'm rewriting this fic (again) and I changed a couple things around. By the time I finish (probably around December 2005), anything of that nature should be resolved.


	5. Alliance

Ch5: Alliance

'Go now. It's not your time yet.' The brunette pulled her husband off the couch with surprising strength for her small frame. The two had spent the night talking about places and events thirty years or more in the past: grand cities they'd visited, battles they'd fought, balls they'd attended. Now the rosy fingers of dawn were extending over the horizon.

'I can't. Not alone…the battles are done and I have nothing else to live for.' The silver-haired man held her tight, unwilling to leave her comforting presence in that other world.

She kissed him gently and guided him to the door. 'Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find something,' she assured him with a knowing smile. 'I know: You could work on that Grand Theory you were always babbling about.'

His smile was much fainter, little more than a thinning of the lips and a light in his eyes. 'That was almost fifty years ago, when I still understood the basics of one theory of interdimensional travel. Trying to reconcile over a dozen will be a little difficult without even that. Besides, better minds than mine have been struggling with this problem for centuries. Even Deep Thought couldn't solve it.'

'You have all the time in the world to work on it. I know you can find the answer. Now quit stalling and go back. You're needed there.' She opened the door and lightly shoved him into the darkness beyond.

'Goodbye, Elaina[1],' Alex called as she closed the door.

************************

He woke to the faint beeps and antiseptic scent of a hospital. Every muscle ached dully and his mind was still faintly foggy from fatigue. Alex groaned and pulled himself into a sitting position. The bed was narrow and hard with siderails to prevent patients from rolling off. A pile of firm pillows supported him as he sat in the dark. _Was that Her? Let's say she is…does that mean anything_? 'GAH!'

Fluorescent lights came on suddenly, blinding the silver-haired man. A petite redhaired nurse pulled the nauseous yellow curtains apart and apologized, 'Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't realize you're up. Is there anything I can do for you?'

'Why am I here? Where's my armour?'

A taller dark-haired woman entered the room and dismissed the nurse. 'Good morning, Mr. de Winter. I'm Dr. Imaki. There was a Third Attraction case last night, one of the most powerful Lucifer Hawks we've seen in the last few months. When the AMP got there, they found you unconscious on the ground with no sign of the Lucifer Hawk. They brought you in and managed to get you out of that suit. You had a few bruises and a shallow cut or two, but nothing serious physically. However, your brain activity was almost non-existent, just a few flutters now and then. You've slept over twenty-four hours.

'As for your armour, the AMP took it into custody as evidence. I would guess that their R&D branch has it now. That reminds me: Director Cheyenne has asked to meet you as soon as possible after you woke up. She sent down some clothes for you.'

'Tell her I'll be in her office in an hour. What time is it now?' Alex swung clumsily off the bed, catching his thin teal gown on the rails. He stopped to unhook it when he heard it rip.

'It's 10 AM. Her office is two floors up.' The doctor bowed slightly and left to let Alex change. He found a blue AMP uniform folded on a chair beside the bed. It was a little tight on him, but not uncomfortably so. He sighed deeply.  _So…she expects me to join them. I need to get Scorpio back to fix it…and decide what to do with the rest of my life._

***********************

_This must be her office_. Alex stood outside the heavy metal door for a moment to compose himself. He could sense an extremely powerful entity inside; it did not feel quite the same as most humans, but not entirely like a Lucifer Hawk, either. After straightening his shoulder wings and pseudo-bandolier one last time, he announced himself through the intercom beside the door. The door slid open silently, admitting him into a very large, though mostly empty, office lit by a gigantic crystal chandelier.

A silver-haired woman sat behind an enormous desk beneath the windows at the far end. At the sound of his footsteps on the tile floor, she raised her head and said, 'Please, have a seat, Mr. de Winter. This may take a while.' 

A plain plastic egg-shaped chair rose from the floor. As he approached the desk, Alex saw that it was hollow and lined with cushions. Also, the woman on the other side of the desk was much younger than her hair made her seem. 'Please, call me Alex. What do you want?' he asked as he sat down.

Rally steepled her fingers and began, 'Call me Rally. I assume you are familiar with what I said at the press conference last week?' Alex nodded and she continued, 'The AMP has been fighting Lucifer Hawks for seven years now. Our battles have become much more intense this past year. A few weeks ago, our headquarters were destroyed and we have reason to believe that the final battle is coming soon. The evidence suggests that Ganossa Maximillian, a human allied with Nemesis, has resurrected Project Gaia, a failed plan to join our world with Nemesis, the Lucifer Hawks' home.

'What you fought last night was a Category One Lucifer Hawk; one of the most powerful, and you defeated it on your own. We need your power, Alex. We already have five members who can use some form of magic, but Ganossa will have numbers on his side. If you stand with us, that will level the field greatly.'

Alex sat silently for a moment, considering his response. At last, he sighed and muttered, 'If you had asked last week or even yesterday morning…no, the morning before my battle….But now, I cannot. I'm old, Rally; older than I look, both by count of years and by experience. I have spent too long on the battlefield and I will not go back except at direst need.'

'And what would you call "direst need?" There is a good chance that this city­–this world–will be destroyed in the coming battle. Would you abandon it to that fate?'

'I...never said that. I only know that I cannot take the field again. If there were some other way in which I could aid you….' His eyes fell on an oversized metal hand on the desk. 'May I have a look at that?'

'Of course. It's the gauntlet from one of Mobile Division One's new armours. The manufacturers sent it to me with their bid. A sample of sorts.' Division One was the designation given to the corps of Mobile Police attached to the AMP.

Alex took the gauntlet in his hands and peered at it intently. He probed it with a dozen senses as he turned it over. 'Hmmmmm…amorphous titanium alloy skin over a ceramic exoskeleton. Second "exoskeleton" forming the interior glove…woven polymers with sensors to follow the hand's movements.' He squinted as he concentrated on some almost invisible detail. 'Unless I've gone blind, those are defensive runes woven into the polymer layers. Between the two layers…metallo-elastic pseudomuscle![2]' His eyes bulged at this last observation. His breath came quick and shallow as he probed further.

Rally nodded. 'Yes, that's what the developers called it. Is there anything wrong with that?'

'Wrong with it? Even on the Grand Bazaar, this is sold as the latest technology. Only a few high-end smithies carry metallo-elastics. My suit uses standard servos and superfluid hydraulics…this stuff has a response time at least ten times faster and generates five times the force for a given weight. At least, that's what the trade journals say…of course, I can't give a precise figure for this particular incarnation without much more study.'

Rally's eyes narrowed shrewdly. 'Suppose I were to give you that chance?'

Alex stopped hyperventilating and looked curiously at Rally. 'How would you do that? Who is handling maintenance for Mobile Division One?'

'The old suits were repaired by in-house staff. At present, we are negotiating a contract for the new suits with the manufacturer. As CEO of Cheyenne Corporation, which owns the Tokyo police department, I can arrange for that maintenance to be handled by a new division of the police department's maintenance staff. Headed by you, of course.'

'I…I have no experience working with this technology. But I'm sure that a few days spent studying that gauntlet will give me a good grasp of it. However, I think that you may find it useful to have an agent who is not bound by police procedure and regulations. Perhaps a post with your corporation?'

Rally considered it for a moment. 'That may work better. It is not uncommon for police executives to divert major contracts to companies they are connected to. If you're willing to accept a junior partnership, we can move on to the details.'

'That should be fine…'Alex hesitated for a moment, puzzled at her offer. 'But why can't you just give me a regular job as, say, your secretary or something?'

'How much do you know about the Cheyenne corporation?'

'Not much except that it owns the police department. But you've left the old executives in place to run their respective districts.'

'This information is not to leave this room, understand?' He nodded. 'Good. The truth is, Cheyenne is little more than a front. It holds stocks and property for me that I inherited from my parents…and a little more that I've acquired over the past few years: It's a bookkeeping convenience and a way to funnel funds into the AMP budget, nothing more. As such, it does not have the revenue to pay anyone a regular salary.'

'I understand. A partnership would be fine, though I hope I will be able to avoid the paperwork you have.' Her smile said, 'Not if I can help it.' Alex continued, 'As for the details of this partnership…I'll need a couple percent of the company's stock for the sake of appearances. I'll pay you, of course.

'I own most of the equipment necessary for servicing power armour and most weapons. What I don't own I can either make or buy pretty easily. I'll take a look at what the current maintenance staff is using and supplement that with my own tools. If you're willing to give me the specs on the weapons used by the AMP and Mobile Division One, I'm sure I can work with any of them.'

'Is there anything you can't fix?'

'Androids, computers, and vehicles. Especially big ones, like that silver airship of yours. I'm afraid you'll still have to pay the maintenance staff to take care of those, though I may be able to work on their weapons a little. I'll also need some space, say, about the size of this office. Some of my equipment is rather bulky and power armours also take up a lot of room. Oh, and I'd like my armour back. It needs some major repairs.'

Rally pursed her lips and considered this for a moment. 'The armour's downstairs with the techs; I'll sign an order for its release. As for workspace…There's a storage room on the same floor as Mobile Division One's ready room. I think it's a little bigger than my office. Is there anything else you need?'

Alex pulled at his nose before asking, 'Actually, there's a small favour I'd like to ask you. I know we just met, but it concerns a friend of mine. He used to be a police officer, but he…had an accident a few months ago and is presumed dead. I wonder if you could arrange for him to join Mobile Division One.'

'I may own the police organization, but I don't have full control over personnel. Who is he?'

'Robert de Vice.' Rally started at the name and leaned forward to contest his nomination. 'I said that he was presumed dead. I found him shortly after Ganossa attacked him in his apartment and I was able to save him. You can speak to him if you wish.' At her nod, Alex turned around in his seat and activated his link to Alice. _Alice__, can you ask __Roy__ to go to the portal hall? Tell him that he has a chance to get his old job back. Open the portal a few feet behind me._ A few minutes later, a portal opened in Rally's office to admit the blonde officer. Alex rose, saying, 'I'll leave you two alone for now. I'll be outside if you need me for anything.'

Once out the door, the silver-haired man slumped against the wall and let out an explosive breath. _Not bad for someone my age…picking up a new career the day after giving up his last one. Something tells me that Rally has some other reason for asking me to join them…if she is the woman from my dreams, I'll need to know her a little better.  I wonder how it's going with __Roy__ in there?_

As if the thought had summoned him, the door slid open and Roy came out. He jerked his thumb back the way he came and ran off grinning toward the elevator at the end of the hall.

***********************

'What's wrong, Kiddy? You look like you've seen a ghost,' Katsumi laughed as the brown-haired cyborg stared at the man who'd emerged from the elevator behind her.

'That's because she did,' a man's voice behind her said quietly. Strong, gentle arms wrapped around her.

'Roy! How…? I thought you were dead!' Tears ran down her cheeks as she turned to embrace her fiancée.

'Wait a minute! How do we know you're the real Roy? Lucifer Hawks have disguised themselves as humans before you know,' Kiddy broke it. Katsumi froze, staring at Roy with suspicious eyes.  Kiddy snapped her fingers. 'I have an idea. Say, Roy, where's Katsumi's blue dragon birthmark?'

'Wha-?!' The blonde cop scratched his head in confusion. 'The only birthmark I ever saw was a red phoenix on her–oof!' A sharp elbow to the ribs cut off the location. Katsumi dragged him into the elevator to ask him the details of how he'd survived that encounter with Ganossa.

**********************

Alex entered to find Rally on the large L-shaped sofa that took up one of the far corners. She thumped the black leather as a sign for him to sit beside her. She said, 'If we're going to be partners, we should know a little more about each other.'

Alex nodded in agreement and took his seat facing her across a low glass table. 'What do you want to know?'

'Just the basics. Who you are, what your powers are, that sort of thing.'

'I'll try to give you the short version of my life story. I'll answer questions after I'm done. I used to be just a slightly nerdy physics major at a California college. My parents were immigrants from England and my grandfather on my father's side had moved there from Hong Kong back when the Communists took power in China. Anyway, I'd found work over the summer in a professor's lab. He was working on hyperspace theory–six dimensions, I think; three spatial, three temporal[3]–and had managed to build a device to travel through all six dimensions. The original was larger than this room, but we managed to create a pocket-sized model while I was there. We sent probes and occasionally animals through the large portal and a human test with the small generator was scheduled for the end of the summer. I drew the short straw.

'The first few worlds I visited were similar to our own with minor variations in politics, language, and such. I returned home after looking around for a few hours. However, on the third world I visited, I was caught in some kind of storm…it deleted my generator's memory, making it impossible to return home. I've been Traveling ever since, mostly at random. For some reason, I tended to enter worlds just as a war was breaking out. I got conscripted so many times that I finally decided to seek out some actual training with weapons.

'About fifteen years after I started my journey, I met Elaina Jaddo. She was a native of a world where Traveling and interstellar flight had been commonplace for centuries.  We met in the forests of a world plagued by demons and monsters…she and her friend were holding off a pack of demon-hounds when I joined the battle. We met again a few worlds later and we Traveled together off and on for five years.

'In my twentieth year of Traveling, we arrived in a preindustrial world with strong traditions of magic. We encountered an ancient man who practiced one of them and persuaded him to teach us. It took a few years, but we finally learned the secret of the Will and the Word [4]. I proposed to her at this time and we were married just before we left that world.

'We spent another year in a world lit only by stars.' A serene smile crept over Alex's face at the memory of that tranquil time. 'We encountered a great host of travelers on the shores of a dark ocean and followed them to a wondrous land of light. After a year, we resumed our Travels. This world was the first one we came to. Elaina died at the hands of a Lucifer Hawk. I've spent the last thirty years wandering the worlds seeking her killer. You know what happened when I found him.'

'Thirty years…'Rally murmured, sympathetic to his wanderings. 'Wait a minute, just how old are you? You don't look any older than I am and I'm not even forty!'

The silver-haired man smiled wryly, 'I'm seventy-five, give or take a few years. It's one of the minor benefits of my gift. Those who wield it age no more than they think they should. My instructor and his brothers stopped in their late fifties, venerable in appearance but still sound in body and mind. His daughter stopped around thirty, still in the bloom of youth. I stopped a little later, at the age of adventure. The Will and the Word can be used to accomplish almost anything its wielder desires if he knows what he wants and how to do it. However, each sorcerer's talents develop along different lines according to his inclination and personality. I have no aptitude with the mental arts, but I am a master of magical combat. I can also do the basic parlour tricks common to all sorcerers: telekinesis, teleportation, and the like. Martini?' A slim-stemmed triangular glass appeared on the table.

'No thanks, I'm on duty.'

'Just as well. It's not a real martini. I can't stand the things.' Alex drained the cup and continued, 'What's your story? I can tell there's something unusual about you, but I can't quite make out what it is.'

Rally answered reluctantly, 'I'm the daughter of a human and a Lucifer Hawk. That gave me certain magical powers, including the ability to detect other Lucifer Hawks. I don't use them all that often, but I can hold my own against most enemies. I had a sister, Rosa, but Ganossa killed her a few weeks ago…he almost killed me at the same time.' She turned her head to one side, hiding her tears behind her long silver hair.

'I'm sorry…I should go now.' Alex rose to leave.

'Wait.' Rally wiped her eyes on her sleeve and strode to her desk. A shining disk popped out of a slot and she handed it to Alex. 'Here's the data on the AMP's weapons.' He bowed, fist to heart, and left her.

Notes: I've decided that numbering notes would make it easier for readers to tell what each one refers to. I would have indicated notes with superscripts, but it seems that fanfiction.net does not recognize them. I hope the brackets weren't too distracting. 

1) Pronounced 'Elaine-ah'

2) Good old Alex…he's a gadget freak at heart. Especially when the gadget concerned is a shiny new suit of power armour or some new weapon. If you want to know more about amorphous metals, there's an article in the April 2004 issue of _Discover_ magazine. It's really amazing stuff…pound for pound, it's much stronger than conventional metals of the same weight and it can be cast like plastics. It's already used in those transformers you see on 'telephone' poles. As for the rest, it's technobabble in the finest Star Trek tradition.

3) Fans of Heinlein's _Number of the Beast_ and other novels may find this arrangement familiar.

4) The Will and the Word is a style of magic from David Eddings' _Belgariad_ and _Mallorean_ series. It's an extremely flexible style…though not without its downsides.

General: Well, there's another chapter. It may be done in under ten chapters this time around if I pack enough into each installment. Of course, with my new chronology, I have about four or five months to play with…which I'll need to develop Rally and Alex (and Katsumi and Roy for that matter). There will be a decent amount of action to come (especially at the end), but Alex won't be doing too much more combat if I have any control over it.


	6. Emissary

Chapter 6: Emissary

'Hey, Lebia, what's up with this memo the Director sent out this morning?' Kiddy called out to the blonde behind her.  
'What memo?'  
'The one saying that Cheyenne Corporation will be handling the maintenance for AMP's weapons and gear from now on. I mean, it's not like our station doesn't have the staff to deal with it already.' The cyborg tossed a copy of the memo onto the other woman's desk. Lebia shrugged after thoroughly perusing the document.  
'The way the budget's been lately…even with the extra money the government's giving us to finish the war…I guess she thought it'd be cheaper to have her company handle it. After all, the maintenance division does have ties to the weapons manufacturing companies.'  
'Don't give me that! You and I both know that she _is_ the Cheyenne Corporation and that she doesn't have the time or the training for this. What's really weird is the guy who got picked to do the repairs: Alex de Winter… that's the guy we picked up unconscious in an abandoned park a few nights ago. It looked like he took out a Category One solo, but he was in pretty bad shape when we got there [1].'  
'Maybe he's an old friend of Rally's who happens to be good at fixing things. That's how Chief Isozaki became our commander, after all.'  
Kiddy grudgingly conceded the point, but added, 'He also looks a little like her with his silver hair. Ah well, it's not like every other corporation isn't filled with nepotism and corruption. I just wish some of it would swing my way once in a while.' The brunette flicked her wrist as if to dismiss the subject and returned to the pile of reports on her desk.  
  
On the floor below her, a silver-haired man sneezed as he set a crate of tools down beside his office door. He suddenly froze as he reached for the switch that opened the door. He slowly drew a small, blocky silver pistol from his oddly rigid jacket before tapping the switch [2]. The silver-haired woman who'd been waiting for his blinked uncertainly at the muzzle after the door hissed open.  
'Oh, it's you. I'm sorry…it'll be a few days before I can tell you apart from some old acquaintances of mine.' Alex returned the gun to its holster and coughed uncomfortably.  
'Don't worry about it. I did the same thing once or twice during my days as a private detective. You've set up very quickly in here, but I thought the room I gave you was a little larger.' Rally recovered quickly and looked around the open space. The center of the room was dominated by what seemed to be an oversized operating table surrounded by toolboxes and diagnostic computers. Racks of parts and ammo lined the walls. A plain wooden door opened to the left and another one stood facing the door Alex had entered by.  
'I decided to add a couple of side rooms. That's my office to the left.' He opened the door to reveal a small chamber dominated by a heavy dark wooden desk with an enormous leather chair behind it. 'You said we would be partners, so I figured I'd need a place to deal with paperwork. Back there is a place to sleep if I wind up staying late. I have a habit of working on a suit until 3 or 4 AM without noticing.' The door in the back opened on a room slightly larger than the office dominated by a medium-sized bed. A TV screen filled the wall at the foot of the bed and a small bookshelf stood opposite the door.  
'It looks more comfortable than the couch in my office,' Rally commented, thinking of late nights spent on that piece of furniture.  
Her companion coughed into his fist. 'I hate to be rude, but you didn't come down here just to talk about my furniture. What can I do for you?'  
'Well…I was just about to go out for lunch, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me. Unless you have something to do, of course.' The last few words came out in a rush as Rally rubbed at her arms nervously.  
'I was just going out myself. There are some more things we need to talk about; we might as well do it over food. By the way, where were you planning to go?'  
'_Le Tour d'Ivoire_; it's a little French place a couple blocks down the street [3].' The two headed out; not arm-in-arm, but close enough that a few of the more suspicious officers thought something was going on.

The Ivory Tower was a very small restaurant, holding barely a score of tables. However, Rally's position (and a ten-thousand-yen note) immediately secured seats for them. Dark wood and crystal dominated the understatedly elegant dining room, while real silver shone beside antique porcelain. Alex felt decidedly out of place in his battered old suit. Seeing him pick at it self-consciously, Rally asked, 'What is that? I saw something like that in a couple places downtown a few years ago.'  
Alex waited for the waiter to take their drink orders before replying, 'It's just something I wore the last time I worked for a police department. It's designed to provide a little protection from low-power energy weapons. I added ceramic plates under the fabric after I got knifed in the arm during a riot…and it can take a couple shots from just about any personal weapon on the market now. Uh, excuse me; I ordered Earl Grey tea, not a wine.'  
'I'm terribly sorry, sir. But Madame asked us to prepare a bottle of this vintage with the reservation.' The waiter bowed and reached out to take the bottle away, but Rally waved for him to pour her a glass. Alex raised an eyebrow at this, but Rally only shrugged.  
'It goes best with the duck I ordered.' As if her words had summoned him, a second waiter gently deposited the bird on the table with a number of side dishes.  
As the waiter carved the first servings, Alex asked, 'I know I don't officially start until next Monday, but I'd like to know just what my duties would be as your partner.'  
_Do we have to stick to business?_ The plaintive question rang in the back of Rally's head, but her mouth answered, 'You'll be in charge of maintaining AMP and Mobile Division One's weapons and armour, of course. I won't ask you to accompany them into battle. Other than that…I suppose you'll wind up with a share of the paperwork I get. Once you've learned how everything's organized, you'll probably stand in for me at meetings. That reminds me: here's the first installment of forms and reports to read. This contains a listing of all our holdings and liabilities, as well as complete details on current and future operations.' Rally pulled a shining disk from her pocket and slid it across the table. Alex took it with the air of one handling orders for a suicide mission.  
'I suppose that takes care of business for now. Is there anything you'd like to know about me? I didn't have time to give you more than a bare sketch of my life last time.' Alex tore into the duck as Rally considered what question to ask first.  
The first one came without warning while Alex was still chewing a mouthful of rich dark meat. 'Have you had any odd dreams lately? Say, during the last six months?' Rally had an odd look on her face as she asked this, as though she wished strongly for a particular answer.  
'I…I place no stock in my own dreams; prophecy has never been one of my talents. But, yes…I've had a few strange recurring dreams the last few months. I was lost in a maze where my battles and wanderings played out on the walls. After a while­–I can't say how long–I found an open chamber. A woman who looked exactly like you was waiting there…waiting for me, she said.' Rally reached up to brush a tear from her eye without noticing.  
'I've had almost the same dream myself. I was wandering through all the scenes of my life until I came to a building that my friends told to enter alone. You were waiting in there. The dream always ended before we could say much to each other.' The tears were flowing liberally now as all the loneliness of thirty-eight years and the hope of the past few months fell on her at once [4]. Alex gently laid his hand over hers and said,  
'I don't usually put much stock in my own dreams, but I think we should try to see where these lead us. Maybe it'll get my in-laws to stop nagging me about remarrying.' He barked a laugh at the last line and poured her another glass. 'We can talk about that later. Is there anything else you want to know?'  
Rally dried her eyes and breathed deeply for a few minutes to regain her composure. 'I'd like to know a little more about the magic you use. Katsumi and I–and Ganossa–cast spells by invoking spirits. Almost all the spells we know are destructive or defensive in nature…we haven't had time to explore other applications of our talents with this war that's been raging since our births.'  
Twin sapphire rings gleamed on Alex's hands as he steepled his fingers. 'Some would say that my power is the root, the ancestor, of all magic, that all other forms of magic are simply aspects of what I do. After all, what is magic but applying the will to obtain results? Most other magics simply require more structure than the Will and the Word.  
'I would put it more simply: it is the power of creation.' The rings glowed dully. A discreet check for waiters preceded the appearance of a steaming bowl of clam chowder before the silver-haired man. 'Those who use it are limited in what they can do by human strength and the limits of their knowledge. I have been forced to study combat magics for most of my short career, so my abilities in other areas are lacking. Most sorcerers can shape-shift…I never got the hang of it.  
'My wife used to play jokes on me all the time with that talent. We're both pretty good with illusions, too.' Alex smiled wistfully at the memory. 'Her favourite one was simply turning into someone else just before I woke up in the mornings. It worked especially well after we'd been out drinking the night before. Then an illusionary version of her would walk in the door. If I didn't have a soldier's ability to take surprises, I probably wouldn't be sitting here.' The gems burned faintly as a small bedroom tableau appeared on the table to demonstrate the gag.  
'My sister used to use our gifts to do things to people, but her 'pranks' tended to be a little more…physical in nature. A little knowledge of physiology goes a long way when you want to make people uncomfortable. Rosa always was bitter about how people treated us.' Rally sighed and poured herself a third glass. 'By the way, are those rings connected to your power in any way? They seem to glow whenever you do anything.'  
'They…the effect is subtle; I can't really explain it. They allow me to do more while using less of my own energy. I suppose a lever is the best analogy…my main talents revolve around energy manipulation, and it takes a good deal of strength to handle the amount of energy I use in combat. With the rings, flicking my fingers, so to speak, has the same effect as lifting a car over my head. They also let me tap into the energy sources around me more easily: Scorpio's power cells, bar batteries, even sunlight.'  
'Coffee, Monsieur? Madame?' The tuxedo-clad waiter held a pair of steaming cups and stood expectantly. He set the cups in front of them at the couple's nod and left. Alex sipped at his after adding a half dozen cubes of sugar.  
'Not quite as good as Yuki's, but it's not bad. Well, it's your turn to tell me about your power.'  
Rally nodded reluctantly. 'I don't understand it as well as I wish, but some old friends explained a little of it to me. As you know, I'm half Lucifer Hawk…that allows me to tap into power flowing around the planet that most people are unaware of. The primary application I learned for this gift is the ability to channel the power to attack my enemies or fend off their attacks. Telekinesis, teleportation, flight, and clairvoyance are my other major talents.  
'Those abilities were very useful when I decided to become a detective. Once I recognized a suspect's psychic signature, I could get my hands on him almost instantly. Unfortunately, my sister and I developed our talents at a very young age; we were raised around the old Sorcerers' Guild, so we thought everyone could do that sort of thing.' Rally stopped for a moment and continued in a subdued voice, 'After the first conflicts with the Lucifer Hawks, the people who'd witnessed the battles branded us the "Devil's Children." I guess Father revealed his true form at some point…our parents died in those early wars, as did most of the Guild.  
'We were forced to flee Tokyo when I was about 15; Rosa was a few years younger. Someone had attacked us and she…blew him apart. We settled in Osaka for a few years to finish school. I went on to college while Rosa disappeared for a while. The next time we met, about 12 years ago, she announced that she was leaving for Nemesis. Ten years later, she comes back trying to kill me…and then she got killed by her so-called "ally" who almost got me at the same time.' Her countenance set into a grim mask that almost made Alex pity Ganossa.  
'I spent most of my time after college as a private detective based out of Tokyo, traveling around the world on cases. Seven years ago, I founded the AMP in response to a resurgence in Third Attraction cases. That about covers my life story.' Rally finished her coffee and waited for Alex to take up the tread of conversation.  
'You already know that I've spent most of the last fifty years as a soldier of one form or another. What you don't know is why I'm so reluctant to become one again. The first few years after my wife's funeral…I don't remember them too clearly, just flashes of random worlds. I was completely driven by revenge…some of my memories of those years are ugly enough to convince me that I don't want to recover the rest. From what little I remember, I think an accident after the funeral kept me from returning to this world immediately, so I Traveled at random, seeking that demon.  
'When I started to think rationally again, I noticed that I was waking up in gutters outside bars almost every morning. It took me a few more years to get out of that habit.   
'I supported myself as a bounty hunter during those years…my hair turned white when some partners and I tackled a wizard who was far more powerful than we'd thought. That was the first time I used my gift in battle and it was barely enough to keep us alive. I managed to convince the wizards' guild that had hired us to train me in lieu of my share of gold. I spent five years on that world developing my system of magical combat. Simply put, I use the interactions between different forms of magical energy to interfere with my enemies' spellcasting. A relatively weak blast of the proper type of energy can cancel or deflect an attack better than a much more costly shield.  
'When I left the Order, I started Traveling again. For some reason, I almost always landed on worlds torn by war and I was usually able to hire myself out as a mercenary to one army or another. I volunteered for every 'suicide' mission, asked to be in the front of every assault. Finally, about fifteen years ago, I landed a job at a weapons R&D facility working on power armour designs. I've always had a fascination with the things…compact but incredibly powerful and flexible, not like those giant mecha some armies use. [5]' The coffee was finished and most of the patrons were gone, but the two silver-haired companions still sat in their strange discussion.  
'Anyway, we were designing an armour to be controlled by the wearer's thoughts. Thousands of small thrusters embedded in the armour, combined with the most powerful antigrav generators we could stuff into it, gave it incredible aerial capabilities for a suit of its size and weight. Just when Scorpio–that was the code-name–was completed, however, pirates raided the facility to take whatever they could. I managed to escape with two suits–Scorpio and a heavy siege suit named Ajax–and a handful of technicians. We signed on with an army raised to end the pirate menace as soon as we were rescued. It took three years of fighting in every environment except a gas giant, but we finally smashed their fortress at Tor Kolpa and broke the Guild.  
'The final battle was terrible. Even though we'd smashed most of their armies and laid siege to their stronghold for three months, they were desperate and strong. I led twenty-five men in siege suits in an aerial drop on Tor Kolpa. Ten followed me into the command center; four survived the confrontation. The Guild's leader was a berserker who carried a gun-spear as large as some power armours…he himself stood almost ten feet tall after we pried his suit off the corpse.  
'I've spent the last ten years wandering the worlds trying to avoid battle, but I always get pulled back into the bloody maelstrom. I suppose the only reason I kept going was the fact that I don't like leaving things half-done. I'd sworn to slay the creature that killed my wife, and I wasn't going to stop until I'd done that.  
'About a year ago, I arrived on this world. I had a feeling that I had something to do here, something I'd left unfinished years ago. You know what happened after I got to Tokyo. I've tread the path of blood for fifty years, and I have no more reason to fight now that my revenge is complete.' Whatever Rally had to say to that was cut off by the strains of Holst's 'Mars.' She reached guiltily into her pocket to retrieve her cell phone.  
'Hello?'  
'Where are you? We have a meeting with the other police executives in five minutes.' Mana's voice came through with cold anger.  
'What?! That was supposed to be at three this afternoon. I just sat down to lunch at _Le Tour d'Ivoire _with Alex.'  
'You left almost three hours ago. I'll pick you up at the door…we should be able to get there in time if I punch it.' Rally paled at the memory of the last time Mana had driver her anywhere in a rush.  
'Just give me a minute to settle the bill.' She hung up and turned to Alex. 'I'm sorry, but I have to go.'  
'Check please!' Alex called as Rally waved for the waiter. The two looked at each other and laughed. He suggested flipping a coin to decide who paid. He lost and handed his credit card to the waiter. As Alex waited for him to return, a black limousine pulled up at the curb. The driver was a woman with short dark-green hair who wore a no-nonsense blue suit. The limo lifted into the air and darted away as soon as the door had closed behind Rally.  
'So…he must be a very charming man if he can make you forget about everything for three hours like that,' the driver noted.  
Rally flushed and retorted sharply, 'It's not like that between us. I need to know if I can trust him to do what needs to be done, and the only way to do that is to talk to him.'  
'So what do you think of him?'  
'He'll be a definite asset if he's even half as good with weapons and armour as he claims to be. It's a shame that he won't fight, but I can't force him to after hearing his story.' Mana floored the pedal, pressing both women into their seats and prohibiting further conversation.

  
'I still can't believe that you're alive. I was so sure I'd lost you that day….' Katsumi's voice trailed off as she burrowed closer to Roy. She'd missed his warmth and gentle nature so much in the month since she'd been freed from Medium's control. The demonic sword had taken advantage of her grief and rage to entrap her soul and use her as a puppet of Nemesis. 'The last few months have been so strange…almost like a nightmare, but I know it's all true.'  
The blonde man beside her chuckled, 'I feel like I've just woken up from a dream, too. But I actually did spend the last six months sleeping. By the way, do you still have the ring I gave you?'  
The violet-haired sorceress slipped out of bed without a word and opened a drawer in the nightstand. A single black velvet-covered box rattled to the front. Inside was a silver ring set with emeralds. 'I have an answer, too: Yes. But the wedding will have to wait until after the last battle is over. I hope you can wait just a little longer.' A silent 'If we survive' hung in the air between them.  
Roy broke the silence. 'When's the baby due?'  
'Early November, according to the doctors. If things go well, our child will be born to a world free of Lucifer Hawks.'

  
The officers' lounge of Station 07 was a spacious, yet cozy area on the ground floor [6]. On Monday morning, the lounge was deserted except for a wisp of steam that curled up over one armchair. A black-suited, silver-haired man reclined in the chair, idly toying with a gauntlet in his lap. The steam rose from a large Thermos of coffee that rested to one side. As the man raised the container to drink, a woman yelled, 'Get out of my chair!'  
The man calmly set down gauntlet and Thermos and immediately leapt into the air. A pair of long hooks appeared in his hands as a fiery blue dragon charged through the air just above the chair. He landed on the dragon's back, grasping it by sinking the hooks beneath its scales. The dragon bucked and turned wildly about the room, endeavoring in vain to shake off its unwelcome passenger. Fortunately, it managed to completely avoid the furniture.  
'Lum Cheng, stand down! What is the meaning of this?' another woman snapped in a deeper voice from across the room. The new speaker was the woman who'd picked up Rally at the restaurant a few days ago; the one who'd summoned the dragon was much younger, with purple hair done up in a pair of cloth-covered buns. She wore the standard AMP uniform and wielded a golden rune-carved staff that resembled an out-sized spear.  
The man fell lightly to the floor as the dragon vanished and bowed to the two women. 'Good morning. I'm Alex de Winter, and I'll be the man in charge of weapons maintenance for the AMP starting today.'  
'Rally has told me a lot about you, Mr. de Winter. I hope you're as good as you claim to be. Mobile Division One's new armour and weapons are due to arrive at the end of the week. I'm Mana Isozaki, commander of the AMP. And this is Lum Cheng, our newest member. She's an elemental mage, an apprentice of Avalanche Wong.'  
'She has great talent from she showed me earlier. It's been many years since I've had that much fun. If you will excuse me, I have an appointment with Simurgh's maintenance crew chief.' The hooks vanished with a flourish of Alex's hands as strode out of the lounge.  
'What a weird guy. Say, Chief, are those rumours about him and the Director true?' asked Lum Cheng.  
'I don't think even Rally knows. Half the time they seem to be long-lost siblings, other times they look like love-sick teenagers. Come on, it's time we got back to the office.'

  
'Say, Yuki, you know this guy Alex, right? What's he like?' Kiddy rested her elbows on the young psychic's desk, leaving their faces only inches apart.  
'Well, he's a nice guy, but I get really weird vibes from him. He's older than he looks, and I think he's had some bad times in the past.'  
'So what do you think is between him and the Director?'  
The younger woman flushed and answered hesitantly, 'Well…I can't really say. I see them together all the time. You know, going out to lunch and stuff like that, but I can't really say if there's anything between them…at least, not the way you mean.'  
'I think there's more to him than he's letting on. He's somehow managed to shut down all the surveillance gear in his office and bedroom. I can only see into the main area where he does repairs.' Lebia broke in.  
'Well, he reunited me with Roy, so he can't be that bad….' Noted Katsumi.  
'Hunh. He's a little creepy, though. I ran into him the other day and he asked me, "Is Ralph still a man?" It turned out that he'd been behind us in line at an amusement park a few months ago when I'd told Ralph, "I know you're not a gentleman; but if you don't pay for those tickets, you won't be a man at all!" I can't believe that he remembers that.' The other women laughed at the cyborg's anecdote.  
'So…he's been in town for a while. That's strange, though, I haven't been able to trace him through Immigration. I do know that he stayed at the Hilton for a while.' Lebia reported.  
'If you really want to know his story, he just mailed it to everyone in the station. It's kinda long, though.' Lum Cheng announced from her desk on the far side of the office. The document in question was an abridged version of what Alex had told Rally over the last few days. It omitted the more personal details…as well as the stranger ones, such as his exact age. Very little work was done at Station 07 that morning.

The rain on Friday afternoon was as hard and dismal as usual in Tokyo. Alex leaned back in his chair, scowling at the virtual pile of reports and forms displayed on his screen. _Rally wasn't kidding about giving me a 'share' of the paperwork. If someone actually printed this, I'd be buried alive! I'm sure Yuki left some coffee around before they left.  
_Rising from his desk, Alex strode off to the small kitchen shared by the AMP and Mobile Police officers. As expected, a generous pot of coffee steamed invitingly on the stove. As he sipped at it and walked back to his office, his thoughts slipped back to his latest conversation with Rally.  
He'd asked her, 'What do you plan to do after this war is over?'  
'I…I don't know. I've been fighting it all my life; I guess I always assumed I'd be fighting it until the day I died. By the way, have I ever told you why all the AMP officers are women?' Seeing him shake his head, she'd continued, 'War only destroys, even if it is fought to preserve life. The AMP is fighting to keep this planet alive; since only women can create new life, I thought that it would be appropriate to combat the deadly power of Nemesis with a force of women.'  
'And here I thought you just swung that way. More seriously, though, women cannot do that alone.'  
'I know. As for what I'm planning to do after Ganossa is defeated, I'll probably sell most of my holdings and retire.'  
'I wouldn't be so quick to say that. Every time I tried to retire, something always came up to drag me back in.'  
A blaring klaxon jarred Alex from his reverie. A Lucifer Hawk–Category Two or higher–had managed to invade the station and was heading for the computer center. The AMP officers were on the far side of Tokyo dealing with a number of Category Twos that had attacked a train station; the Mobile officers were field-testing their new armour against an infestation of piranhas in an office building several blocks away. Sighing deeply, Alex set down his coffee and translocated himself into the computer room.  
A minute later, the door burst inwards and bounced off his shield as the Hawk entered. It was slightly taller than an average human, a worm-like creature that floated upright through the air. Segmented chitinous skin glistened with mucus as it surveyed the chamber. Alex pulled a long bitter spear from the air with a flourish and said quietly, 'Leave now and live. If you decide to go after the data stored here, you will die.'  
The creature laughed, a sound not unlike nails drawn over a chalkboard. 'It will take more than steel to defeat me.' Instantly, its tail whipped out to impale the man. The spear blurred and the creature was a foot shorter; fire consumed the severed segment as it fell.  
'I take it that you choose to remain, then. So be it.' Black fire surged from the man's outthrust hand to envelope the Hawk. When they vanished, no sign of the creature remained. As Alex walked out he door, he paused and directed a second burst of fire at the floor. As he created a new door, the silver-haired man muttered, 'Almost missed a spot. Those things grow back faster than mildew if you do.'  
'Alex, what happened? I came as soon as the alarm went off. I'll be down there in five minutes.' Lebia's voice spoke from the radio at his throat.  
'Just a minor Lucifer Hawk trying to steal our data. I've taken care of it.'

Saturday dawned cold and wet, as most February days did in Tokyo. Rally had summoned the AMP officers to her office for a conference; Alex stood behind her as she began the briefing. 'We've seen at least six attacks a day against civilians since the government acknowledged the existence of Lucifer Hawks. In light of this, I will be asking the Prime Minister and his government to order the immediate evacuation of Tokyo. If all goes well, the AMP and Mobile Division One–and our support staff–will be the only people in the city within a week. Are there any questions?'  
Kiddy spoke up. 'Just one: where will we be staying after this. It won't be all that safe in the city even if we do manage to get everyone out.'  
Rally referred the question to Alex. 'The station has everything we need: kitchen, beds, showers. With only fifty people or so staying here, we'll be able to clear out quite a few rooms. I'll be converting some of that space into temporary quarters.'  
'Pardon me. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.' A great Lucifer Hawk materialized in the center of the room. It was far more humanoid than most of that race, sporting what seemed to be a two-foot tall top hat with a great eye set in it. A single angel's wing graced its back, matched by a short fleshy spur on the other side; its one human arm was paired with a long black tentacle.  
'Wait! This one is…powerful. I'm sure it's here for a purpose, and I think it would be best if we learned what that purpose it.' Alex called out as a pair of Mobile Police burst in the door and leveled blasters at the Hawk. The new armours looked much like the older suits, but they were 25% lighter, had built-in blasters on the arms, and were capable of limited flight with jetpacks attached.  
'Listen to your elder, young ones. The years have given him sense, if not wisdom. Rally Cheyenne, I am here as an peaceful envoy from Goddess Nemesis.' The creature bowed to the silver-haired woman.  
'Have you come to sue for peace? Our terms are simple: return to your world, and never attack humans again.'  
'I'm afraid that I have come to receive answers to questions which have been vexing my Goddess for some time now. Why did Project Gaia betray us? Were the benefits not enough for you that you had to attack Nemesis?'  
'Attack Nemesis? None of us were personally part of the Project, but the men behind it would never consider such a move. Did you see massed armies when you came through the portal in your "pre-emptive strike?"'  
'No…but the resistance from the Sorcerers' Guild was sufficient to persuade us that you meant to fight in earnest. Moreover, Ganossa Maximillian, the human Ambassador warned us of this treachery and instructed us to prepare our counterstroke.'  
'Ganossa warned you?' Rally sighed. 'You had no way of knowing not to trust that man. He lies as easily as most men breathe. However, we have no way of proving that he lied. The only surviving member of the Project Gaia team is too far away to consult now.'  
'No. I am here.' A diminutive man with a long beard and broad conical hat materialized beside the Hawk. 'I felt Lucifer's presence here and I decided to attend this parley.'  
'Grandfather! You know this creature?!' Lum Cheng burst out.  
'He was a match for any of the old Sorcerers' Guild. Even Gigelf Liquer was forced to retreat before him.'  
The Hawk bent down to place its face level with the old magician's. 'You must be Avalanche Wong. It has been a long time; I have come to learn the truth about Project Gaia. Ambassador Maximillian warned us that it was a cover for an invasion of Nemesis. Is this true?'  
'No. Our intents were peaceful, intended to benefit both worlds. Ganossa sought to manipulate you for his own ends.'  
'I see. You are telling the truth…and yet, my Goddess is bound by a contract to aid Ganossa. Until and unless he takes actions contrary to Her interests, She cannot cut him off from her power as she did the Cheyenne sisters. She never desired conflict between her children.' Rally bowed her head at this, hiding a tear behind her hair. The Hawk continued, 'I must report to my Goddess and formulate our strategy for disposing of the traitor Maximillian.' It bowed deeply and began to fade away.  
'Wait!' Rally called. 'I would like to speak to you alone for a little, if you wish. I hope that you, a Lucifer Hawk, can answer a few questions I have about myself.' Lucifer rematerialized and bowed in acquiescence. The gathered officers quietly filed out the door. 'I would like to know, just how long do Lucifer Hawks live? Assuming they don't encounter one of us in battle, of course.'  
'It varies greatly. The lesser breeds typically die after a few Earth years, while those such as I…well, I once visited Earth in my youth and listened to the blind bard sing of Troy [7]. There are a few older than I, but they are mostly retired, as you humans say. Of course, I do not know if you will live as long as I have; however, some say that the greatest mages of antiquity carried the blood of Nemesis, and they lived for centuries. Is there anything else you wish to know?' The questions moved on to more exotic areas, mostly prompted by strange illnesses that Rally had had at one point or another.

**Notes:**

1) AMP ification of Lucifer Hawks (anime version): I'm sorry for not putting this up earlier; must have slipped my mind.  
**Category One** Hawks are the most intelligent and the most dangerous. They are relatively rare but tend to have strong magical powers.  
**Category Two** Hawks are of intermediate intelligence and sometimes capable of speech; generally speaking they have minimal magical abilities.  
**Category**** One** Hawks are the least intelligent, little more than dumb beasts in many cases. However, they are the most numerous type and may attack in swarms.

2) If you care, the gun looks very similar to an Earthforce PPG from Babylon 5, though it's much more powerful. Alex wears a slightly upgraded version of the riot gear from that series.

3) That should mean 'The Ivory Tower.' The name is based on a real restaurant named _Le Tour d'Argent_ ('The Silver Tower,' I think), which provided at least one contestant for the Japanese show 'Iron Chef.' That show is quite possibly the best non-anime TV show to come out of Japan into the US. It's a little overdone, especially the Chairman's wardrobe, but it's a great show…it also makes me wish I could hook a replicator to my TV and try the dishes myself.

4) According to Rally in Vol.10 of the manga, she was eight when she first met Ganossa Maxiimillian and thirty years have passed since then. Material in vol. 2 and 4 could be interpreted to give somewhat younger ages for Rally, but I think that 38 is the best estimate.

5) Full-sized mecha are almost useless for hostage rescues, underground combat in tunnel complexes, etc. Basically, anything in a tightly enclosed space. Besides, power armour is much easier to produce in large numbers.

6) Station 00 was destroyed a few weeks before this point in the story line. It only makes sense that the AMP would move into another station afterwards.

7) Homer was generally believed to be blind. And one of the first to write down his works. I think that scholars generally date him to the fifth century BC or so.

**General**: I think Rally would tend to a bit shy around Alex even if she is one of the oldest canon characters. I have a feeling that she hasn't had much experience in the dating arena due to her background and how people treated her in her childhood. No matter how self-possessed or confident one is, one is almost always a bit jittery when trying something the first time. I also think there's a good chance she's had at least some college education…probably a business major.  
In case you're wondering, Mana Isozaki is not my own creation, despite the late introduction. All I can say is that M. Asamiya introduced her relatively late in the series, too (manga version, anyway). Same with Lum Cheng. And Lucifer, for that matter. He only shows up in the last two volumes of the manga, and for about half a scene in the anime…his name is terribly mangled in the English dub, though.


	7. Amok Time

Warning: A little lemon-lime flavour to this fic…skip it if you want.

Chapter 7: Amok Time

'Lady Nemesis has reached a decision,' Lucifer announced. Rally awaited the message behind her desk, flanked by Mana and Avalanche Wong. 'She is bound by Her contract with Ganossa and cannot act directly in this matter until and unless Ganossa makes a move hostile to Her interests. However, She will no longer aid him in any way not required by the contract. Unfortunately, Ganossa has many allies among the more powerful Lucifer Hawks, who have small followings of their own. Combined, they will be able to field a formidable army.

'We Lucifer Hawks do not war amongst ourselves, so none of us will be able to stand with you against Ganossa.' The great Lucifer Hawk paused for a moment, unsure of whether to continue.

Rally urged him to continue. 'Is there something else you think we should know? Even if you're not certain, it may help us.'

'I suspect that Ganossa may attempt something extremely dangerous to both Gaia and Nemesis. His behaviour has been erratic since the destruction of your former headquarters, and his version of Project Gaia does not…feel quite the same as that which you were involved with, Avalanche Wong.'

'Thank you, Lucifer. It feels strange to be fighting for the survival of Nemesis, but I will do whatever it takes to stop Ganossa.'

'That is all I can ask. Be well, my daughter.' Lucifer bowed and dematerialized.

'What did he mean by "my daughter?" I thought your father died years ago.' asked Mana.

'According to him, he is closely related to my father…but he refuses to say just how they're related. I get the feeling that he is much older than my father, though.'

Alex sat scowling at the screen in his desk. It displayed the floor plan of Station 07, specifically the floor he shared with Mobile Division One. Scraps of paper held a single underlined number at the top with succeeding numbers crossed out. No matter how he traced lines on the map, he couldn't get the two numbers to match. Just as he was on the point of smashing his forehead through the screen, Kiddy knocked and entered.

'Hey, if you've got a minute, I have a little problem with my Graviton. It won't shoot straight.'

The silver-haired man rose, muttering, 'Finally, some honest work.' He led the cyborg into the main room, where he kept his equipment. After hooking the weapon to a diagnostic rig, he discovered that the sights were misaligned and that the barrel was badly corroded. As he replaced the barrel, he commented, 'I don't understand…you used the same gun for at least three years with no problems. Yet you've been in here four times in the past week.'

'I lost the original a few weeks ago. The replacement just isn't as durable. By the way, what were you doing when I walked in?'

'Trying to decide how to carve up this floor into temporary living quarters for after the evacuation. It'd be too risky to let everyone stay in their own homes with the city empty like that.'

'Why this floor? And why are you the one doing it?'

'The locker rooms are on this floor. I figured that having everyone live close to the showers would be a good idea. As for why I'm doing it…can you think of anyone else?

'Rally is trying to talk the government into ordering the evacuation of Tokyo; that, along with her administrative duties, doesn't leave much time for much else. Besides, she's the senior partner and gets to delegate the tedious things.

'Mana is the commander of the AMP, so she can't do it unless she wants you running around unsupervised. None of the AMP and Mobile officers can do it with Lucifer Hawk activity as high as it is. The support staff has more important things to do than scribble marks on drawings of empty rooms. Guess who that leaves?'

'You? Just don't put me in the same room as Katsumi.' The sorceress had stayed at Kiddy's apartment for a while once, and her snoring

'Oh, I'm not at that point yet. I'm still trying to decide how to carve up the space available into private rooms and barracks space. It'll be impossible to give everyone a room of his own, but I can't just cram everyone into two-foot wide bunk beds, either. I'm emptying every closet and storage room and I keep coming up one bed short.'

'You have that bed in the back, don't you?'

'That's for me. This is all tentative, anyway. Rally says she's going to be transferring in some extra personnel in the next week or so: officers who've had experience with Lucifer Hawks and a few more doctors for the infirmary.'

'Well, I need to go back on duty. Good luck with the rooms.'

The next day, every TV station broadcast this message from the Prime Minister at eight PM: 'Citizens of Tokyo, I must regrettably inform you that it is no longer safe to remain in this city due to the conflict with the Lucifer Hawks. I must ask you to evacuate the city in an orderly fashion within the next week. Instructions for the evacuation will be sent to you via email later this evening. Take only what you can carry easily–material possessions can be replaced; your lives and your families cannot.

'Again, I ask that you remain calm in this time of crisis. I hope that we will be able to return to a city free of the menace that now threatens it. Thank you, and may God defend us all.'

Over the course of the next week, long lines formed at the airport, docks, train stations, and along the major roads leading out of Tokyo. Police officers in long blue cloaks and dark sunglasses directed the evacuation and maintained order. Alex received the final staff roster for Station 07, with a dozen new personnel to find beds for. Even by arranging for the barracks beds to be used in shifts, he was short one bed. Rally called him in for a conference on the matter during the third day of evacuations.

'Have you worked out the sleeping arrangements?'

'Not quite. We have almost sixty people in here: about thirty officers; a dozen doctors and nurses; and another dozen janitors, mechanics, and the like. I've moved all the supplies and ammo stored on the seventh floor into the basement. I plan to have private quarters for sixteen people, two to a room, to accommodate married couples and such. This room will become a barracks with another fifteen beds that can be used in rotation. Unfortunately, we're still short one bed.'

'That's not a problem. I'm having one shipped up to my office tomorrow.'

'I'll send up a list of food we'll need in the next few days. Also, Mobile Division One's new Gauss rifles arrived today. According to the data the R&D people sent me, they fire antimatter rounds with rune-scribed casings that can penetrate shields…at least, they penetrated the shields used during testing. There's only one way to tell if they'll be any good against a Lucifer Hawk [1].' Alex laid the report on her desk for Rally to initial.

'Issue them in the morning. And I'll need the report from Simurgh's weapons chief.'

Several hours later, Rally shut her computer off after wading through a sea of reports on the evacuation and preparations for the battle to come. She had shrugged off her jacket and was preparing to spend another night on her couch when a voice suggested from the back of her head,  _Why are you sleeping here when there's a perfectly good bed downstairs?_

_Because it's not my bed._

_It's not like he's in it now. Can you feel his presence there?_ It happened that Alex had just stepped out to hunt down some midnight ramen.

_No. He must have gone home, wherever he lives. But…_

_It's probably more comfortable than that couch and it's not like anyone is likely to find you there. It wouldn't hurt you to get a good night's sleep once in a while._

_I suppose you're right. He did say I was welcome to borrow anything I needed._

With that, Rally teleported herself into the small room behind Alex's workshop. She threw her jacket over a chair and climbed into the small bed. She almost heard the outer door slide open as she fell asleep.

Alex slurped down the last of his ramen and threw the cup into the trash as he strode into his office. Rally had also placed him in charge of ordering supplies, without stating how long she expected the officers to live in the station. The station had adequate stocks of weapons, ammo, and medical supplies; but food (and possibly water) could be problematic if the Lucifer Hawks decided to besiege the building. Bringing in supplies by air was an option, but the amount that could be brought in was limited by the size of the helipad and the fact that many Lucifer Hawks could fly. Alex finally gave up trying to stay awake about half an hour after Rally had settled into bed. He yawned and half rose from his seat, but thought better of it. A small switch set into his chair's armrest instantly flattened it into a narrow but very soft bed. He pulled a blanket from the air and fell asleep almost instantly.

Around four AM, Kiddy stepped out of the elevator to leave a broken gun for Alex when she saw Rally groggily stumble out of his door in rumpled shirt and pants. The older woman shuffled off towards the ladies' room, giving no sign that she'd noticed the cyborg's presence. As she left, Kiddy thought to herself, _Interesting…._

About an hour later, Yuki passed by and saw Alex shamble down the hall with an empty glass in his hand. He filled it at a water fountain and returned without greeting her. Alex woke at seven, according to the clock blinking on the desk screen beside him. He made his way across the dark workshop to the bedroom, where he kept his coffee machine. As the water boiled and the aroma of coffee filled the room, a thick woman's voice called sleepily from the bed, 'Make me a cup, too, will you, Yuki?'

The room instantly filled with light as Alex spun to face the speaker, a ball of sapphire flame clenched in his fist. Rally started up at the sudden light and blinked at the man for a moment. They asked each other simultaneously, 'What are you doing in here?'

Rally was the first to reply after an embarrassed silence. 'I thought you'd left for the night, so I decided to borrow the bed. I'm…sorry.'

'It's nothing. I was just surprised to find someone in here. You're welcome to stay here whenever you want–the chair in my office turns into a bed, so that's not a problem.'

'Thank you, but I'll probably be sleeping in my own bed from now on. By the way, the evacuation should be complete today. Are we ready for what comes after?'

'Almost. I'll make arrangements for food, water, and fuel to be shipped in today.' Alex poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Rally. The conversation moved on to other business, including what she planned to do with the police department after the war was finished. After about half an hour, Rally pulled on her jacket and the two left the room in search of breakfast. They found Kiddy beside the door, almost asleep beside the door.

'Morning, Kiddy. Did the Graviton break again?' The cyborg started up with a wild yell, almost shoving her fist through Alex's skull.

'Oh, sorry. No, I just wanted to talk to you about something else. Hey! Morning, Director! What are you doing here?'

The older woman replied calmly, 'I just decided to join him for a cup of coffee this morning while we discussed the direction Cheyenne Corporation should take. Say, aren't you supposed to be on duty now?'

'No, my shift just ended.'

'I'll leave you to discuss whatever business you have with Alex, then.'

Once her superior was out of earshot, Kiddy leered at Alex and asked, 'So, how was she?'

He replied stiffly, 'I wouldn't know. Nothing happened last night, at least not in the sense you think. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get something to eat.'

'Say, Roy, have you ever wondered how that de Winter guy got his job?' commented one Mobile officer to his partner as they supervised the last few hundred evacuees at the airport.

'He's really good with weapons and armours, from what I've seen. Remember the Silver Knight the tabloids were talking about last year? He built that guy's armour.'

'Well, some say that there's a…connexion between him and the woman in charge, if you know what I mean.' A third officer insinuated into his mike.

An officer further down the line laughed raucously. 'That's the way things work in the corporate system: it ain't what you know, it's who you know. And how you know them!'

'I don't think either of them is the type to make that sort of deal. Hey, what's that?' A dark cloud of dust had appeared on the horizon.

'Looks like a Lucifer Hawk. A big one,' reported one officer.

'Looks that way to me, too, Nozomu. Alright, everyone, stay calm but get on those planes as fast as you can. Mobile Police, with me!' The civilians broke into a run as they scrambled into the planes, but left open spaces around the armoured officers as they formed a line between the vehicles and the approaching Lucifer Hawk. It was visible now, flying at great speed over the ground: with a flat wedge-shaped head attached to a lithe grey body, it resembled nothing more than a flying mutant shark. Roy ordered, 'On three, let it have it with the blasters!'

The officers levelled their arms at the monster and stubby barrels popped out from the vambraces. 'Three!' Five bolts of energy shot out at the monster, only to detonate against its shield. 'Alright, Yamamoto. Time to test that new rifle.'

The officer unslung his rifle and aimed carefully. He fired when the Lucifer Hawk was about fifty yards away. At almost the same instant as he heard the rifle's crack, the Hawk exploded in a fountain of grey flesh and green ichor. Yamamoto whistled as the rifle's capacitors recharged. 'Wow…those techies weren't kidding when they said this thing was powerful.'

'The evacuation of Tokyo is complete, sir. Now we can only wait for Ganossa to make his move,' Mana reported to Rally. 'We know that he is reactivating the Cyclotron, and Lebia has detected a great deal of activity there the last few days. Whatever his plan is, he will carry it out soon.'

'Good. The sooner this war is over, the better. We can't live in this station the rest of our lives, after all. Activate the Cerberus system; every sector should be checked at least twice an hour. And have officers patrolling, too. We'll get better coverage that way, and the Simurgh's sensors are the best available.'

'Yes, sir. Oh, Yuki and the girls have organized a "house-warming" party in the AMP office tonight. Will you be attending?'

'Of course. I'll be living here, too.'

The party was a rather subdued affair as the impending battle hung over everyone's head. Since a number of officers were technically on duty, no alcohol was served. Most of the attendees wore uniforms, but Alex showed up in black slacks and a blue shirt. Inevitably, conversations turned to the subject of what the AMP members planned to do after the final battle.

'Ralph! What are you doing here?' Kiddy caught her boyfriend in a headlock and had to release her grip a bit to get an answer.

'Director Cheyenne transferred me to this division since I've had a little experience with Lucifer Hawks before.'

'I remember…that was how we met.' Kiddy grinned but Ralph coughed and tried to change the subject.

'Yeah, well, I'm part of Mobile Division One for now. I need to get fitted for my armour in the morning…and I think we have a room together.'

'You do' confirmed Alex. He held a sandwich in one hand and a glass of some blue liquid in the other. 'Just try to remember that the walls are only temporary and not particularly soundproof.' Even Kiddy blushed at this reminder.

'Oh, I suppose we might as well announce this now…Attention everyone, Kiddy and I have something to say: We're getting married.' Ralph announced to loud applause.

'When?' someone called from the back of the crowd.

'We haven't picked a time yet…no real rush; after all, there's no guarantee we'll survive the next week.'

'Ralph, if you die on me, I'll drag your carcass to the altar if I have to break down the Gates of Hell to do it.'

'So, Katsumi, what are you planning to do after this is all over?' asked Yuki.

'We…we're thinking of getting married and then settling down some place quiet, away from Lucifer Hawks and traffic jams,' Roy replied [2].

'Don't worry, we won't go too far: there's some open ground near Tokyo that's been abandoned for years. We just need a place where we can retire and raise a family,' added Katsumi. 'This city is great, but I'd rather have a little more space when we have kids. What about you, Yuki?'

'Well…Lum Cheng's a pretty good cook, even if she can be a little over the top sometimes. We've been talking about offering Chinese food at my café.'

'We'll be sure to stop by if you ever do that. It should be a very interesting restaurant.' Katsumi promised [3].

'What do you plan to do after this war's over, Rally?'

'I've…never thought about that, actually. I've been fighting Nemesis almost all my life and I always assumed that I would do it until I died. Alex and I have been talking, though. We'll sell off a large chunk of the police, though Cheyenne Corporation will retain overall control. I'll probably retire somewhere and live off the money that used to go to the AMP. What will you do, Mana?'

'I'll probably try to get into the corporate world. I've acquired a good deal of…interesting information on many of the corporations that used to own parts of the police department. If you're interested in a third partner….'

'That's a good idea. Alex is a genius at making machines work, but I don't think he really likes dealing with accounts, regulations, and meetings. I'll probably put him in charge of a couple factories we own–through proxies, of course–after this is all over.'

'If he sticks around.' Rally winced at this observation; only Mana's practiced eye caught the movement. 'Speaking of Alex, do you mind if I ask just what is going on with him?'

'We're just business partners…maybe friends, but nothing more. Still, there's always this funny feeling every time I see him. Like my Lucifer Hawk side wants to have him for lunch.'

'Have you ever had a boyfriend before? I've heard the rumours going around about the two of you–I don't believe them–but you two do look like a couple.'

'There was that one guy in college….'Rally mumbled.

Mana snorted in memory of this story told long ago in the wee hours at a Beijing bar. 'He ran away after looking in your fridge.'

'He was an idiot. It wasn't even _human_ blood!'

'How was he supposed to know? Most people don't keep jugs of blood around…even if it is  pig's blood. Anyway, I don't think that guy counts as a boyfriend. At least he didn't start a new round of vampire rumours about you.'

Rally grimaced. 'Those cost me so much back then…it was impossible to find a roommate who didn't freak out about my eating habits. How did we get into talking about my college days?' She discreetly took the green-haired woman by the arm and left the room to seek a more private place after noting that the other officers were paying great attention to them.

'It just happened, I guess. Back to Alex. Do you want to get closer to him?'

'I…don't know. He's the first man I've ever met who actually accepts the fact that I'm half Lucifer Hawk, but I don't know if he's going to stay in our world after this. If we do fall for each other, I don't think I'd be able to take it if he left.'

'They say it's better to love and lose than to not love at all. I wish I could agree with them. I miss Genvara so much even after all these years….'

'I'm sorry for bringing this up if it hurts you so much.'

'I've learned to live without him. The important thing is the time we did have together. If we hadn't taken a chance on each other, we never would've had them. Besides, if Alex leaves, you could go with him. You deserve a vacation after a lifetime of fighting, and so does he.'

'Thank you, Mana. I think I know what we have to do now.'

Rally moaned as her lover bent his head to take her breast in his mouth. She ran her tongue over his neck, feeling the pulse beat under the skin. He was so warm and tasted so…inviting. She whispered, 'This won't hurt…much,' before biting down. A trickle of blood flowed into her mouth, salty with a metallic tang and a faintly bitter aftertaste. He pulled away and dipped his head lower, leaving a cool, faintly ticklish trail down her body. One hand rose to caress her thigh, slowly creeping higher.

Rally jerked awake just as the hand reached its goal. She was alone in her bed in a walled-off corner of her office. The sweat-soaked sheets were tangled around her as if she'd been moving violently in her sleep. _That's the third night in a row I've had that dream. Does it mean anything? _She glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside her. _Ugh…might as well get up now and take a shower before everyone else uses up the hot water._

Alex rolled off his bed and woke from a similar dream. He raised one hand to his neck and found the skin unbroken. The clock read 5:30. _Too early to get up, too late to go back to sleep. May as well take a shower now before the morning rush._ Pulling a towel and robe from the air, he rose and headed off to the locker room.

The two met outside the locker rooms, which were next to each other. Alex spoke first. 'Couldn't sleep either, huh?'

'I've been having strange dreams ever since we moved into the station three days ago.'

'So have I. I keep waking up before they get interesting, though. All of my really good or bad dreams are like that.' For some reason, both of them blushed at that and hurried into the showers. Officers coming off the night shift flooded the locker rooms minutes after they got out.

Alex entered his bedroom and stripped off his suit after spending several hours repairing an extremely battered suit. The owner said that a pack of Category Twos had thrown a tree at him. The dent in the breastplate was certainly large enough to be from a tree. The arm blaster had also been caught in the impact and had needed to be replaced. Alex took the opportunity to make a few adjustments the officer had requested: more movement in the hip and knee joints and more flexibility in the fingers. Alex dropped his clothes into a chair and stretched beside the bed, clad only in black boxers. A woman's voice purred as he felt someone materialize behind him. The voice was deep, with just a hint of the odd resonance of Lucifer Hawk speech.

'Nice view.'

Alex dove for the pistol in his jacket but instead hit his head on the chair arm. Gentle arms picked him up and the voice whispered in his ear, 'You won't need those for tonight.'

Alex opened his eyes and finally got a look at the intruder. 'R-Rally?! What are you doing in here?' She was wearing a short black night gown; a lacy one that consisted of more holes than fabric.

'Can't you guess?' She licked his neck, trailing her tongue along the carotid artery in a faintly disturbing way.

He pushed her away and fell into the chair. 'What's gotten into you? This isn't how you normally act.'

'I thought it was time for a change.' She smiled, baring teeth that were just short of being fangs. 'This won't hurt either of us…much.' Rally leaned in to kiss him and thrust her tongue deep into his mouth. Alex tasted faintly of Ramen and fried catfish. He nicked his tongue on her teeth and she broke the kiss to savour the taste of blood.

'Not bad, but I think you should try some of mine.' She ran her tongue over a particularly sharp canine; blood welled up along the cut and she grabbed Alex's head for another kiss. Her blood had a salty-sweet flavour with oddly spicy notes. It also brought an old quote to Alex's mind, something a friend had said to him many years ago: 'Passion is rare enough as it is. Touch it when it comes your way [4].'

The klaxon sounded in the AMP office, jolting Kiddy from a light doze. A large map of the residential floor appeared in the air with a bright red marker indicating the presence of a Lucifer Hawk, possibly Category One.

'How did a Lucifer Hawk get in here?! We've installed new shields and extra wards!' Lebia exclaimed.

'It's in Alex's quarters. He can deal with it.'

'We still need to notify Director Rally, though. That's strange…she isn't in her room. She hasn't left the station, though…at least, no one's seen her go out.' The blonde tapped at her control panel in bemusement.

'Lebia! What's going on?' Mana demanded as she entered at a dead run.

'The sensors have detected a Lucifer Hawk, but it's in the one part of the station where the surveillance cameras have been disabled. I can't seem to find the Director, either.'

Kiddy snapped her fingers. 'Say, isn't she half Lucifer Hawk? I'll bet that's what we're picking up.'

'There's only one way to confirm it, Kiddy. Are you volunteering to interrupt them? It's releasing a great deal of energy, whatever it is.' Mana fixed the cyborg with a raised eyebrow and steady gaze.

'Nah. Alex is old enough to look after himself.'

'Lebia, cancel the alarm, but place the Mobile Police on alert in case this is something hostile.'

'Yes, sir.' The klaxon cut off and the map vanished. A moment later, Mobile Division One's night shift commander acknowledged his orders.

Alex awoke to a very warm body beside his own…and a very sore spot in his neck. A pair of crescent scabs bordered the spot. As he sat up, he noticed that Rally was still asleep. _Nothing good can come of this._

'What do you mean?!' she demanded, instantly sitting up beside him. Her voice and fangs had returned to normal.

'Just something another soldier told me almost fifty years ago: "Nothing good can come from sleeping with the boss. No matter how beautiful she is, it's not worth having to deal with everyone else thinking she favours you." Every promotion or decoration is twice as hard to obtain with an image like that, as another friend of mine found out.'

The silver-haired woman laughed. 'We're partners, remember? I'm not your boss.'

'That's not how everyone else sees it. By the way, how did you know what I was thinking? I'm not telepathic, and I'm pretty sure I didn't say it out loud.'

'I don't know. It just popped into my head and woke me up. Try thinking something else.' Alex sat silently on the bed, but his voice sounded in Rally's head.

_What do you want for breakfast?'_

_Bacon and eggs, I think. And blood…doesn't have to be yours, though._ Alex made a flourish with his hand and the meal appeared on the nightstand. As she ate, Rally said, 'I'm sorry about last night. Lucifer said that the mating instinct in strong in Lucifer Hawks, but I never thought it would be anything like that.'

'Don't apologize. There's nothing to regret. Just try not to make a habit of it…A couple of the neighbors were banging on the walls last night.' Rally blushed.

'Were we that loud?'

'Louder, probably. I sound-proofed this place when I set it up since I have a habit of watching TV late into the night.'

'In here again, Director?' Kiddy asked as the two left the workshop wearing robes and carrying towels. She didn't even pretend to have a piece of broken gear for Alex to fix.

'Kiddy, if you keep stalking me, you'll be on cleaning detail for the rest of your life,' Rally stated coldly. The red-haired cyborg prudently retreated at this point.

**Notes:**

1) Gauss rifles are a standard sci-fi weapon. They use magnets to propel projectiles at incredible speeds.

2) Katsumi's hair is blue in the TV series (finally saw an episode again…it's been a while) but it's purple in the last couple manga covers (though it's blue on the first one). I think I said it's blue-purple earlier.

3) They wind up doing this in the end of the manga…but I don't think they're a couple per se any more than Alex and Rally are at this point in the chapter.

4) A corrupted version of what Marcus says to Dr. Franklin during their Mars sojourn when the rebel leader started showing an interest in the good doctor. Incidentally, Richard Biggs, the actor who played Dr. Franklin, passed away this week. He also appeared in several daytime soaps.

 The title comes from an episode of the original Star Trek, as do certain elements of the plot. Copy and paste this address into your browser window for full details of the Star Trek episode: As a half Lucifer Hawk, it is not unthinkable that Rally would have some odd metabolic/dietary quirks. Or odd-tasting blood for that matter. It is known that Lucifer Hawk extracts can have a…peculiar effect on humans. I'm sure that the surge of hormones produced during the mating season would be just as potent.


	8. Destiny

Chapter 8: Destiny

'Anything new to report, Mana?'  
'It's been a week since we finished evacuating Tokyo, but Ganossa still hasn't made a move. Cyclotron activity has increased, as has the number of Lucifer Hawks detected in the city. I'm   
afraid that the Cerberus system and manned patrols are only killing a fraction of them.'We have enough provisions to stay here for at least a month, but I think we'll get sick of those ration packs long before then. Rally, we need to make the first move.' The two were sitting in the corner of Rally's office that she'd walled off as a bedroom. The bed was the only seat available, but the appearance of privacy made up for any awkwardness.  
'And what would that be? We know that Ganossa plans to open the Gates of Nemesis, but our only option now is to destroy the Cyclotron. Doing that could take out half of Tokyo. I have Lebia looking into ways to deactivate the Cyclotron, but that has to be done at the right time–too early and Ganossa could simply delay his plans while he restarts it.'  
'We can't just sit here doing nothing! For all we know, Ganossa is just trying to starve us out. He has the numbers to easily keep us from bringing in supplies by land or by air.'  
'If it comes to that, we have other options. However, it's not likely that we'll have to wait long. The Cyclotron is almost at full power and I can feel great powers gathering.'  
'I hope you're right. The waiting is wearing us down…as are the close quarters. Having everyone live in the station was a good plan for security, but it won't be long before serious problems appear.

'Lord of Nemesis, the Cyclotron has been reactivated. The gateway will be open soon. Now fulfill your contract and return my body to me!' Ganossa stood on a promontory of bare rock surrounded by fallen columns. A great being of light hovered before him, wings stretching from horizon to horizon. A halo spun above its head and what appeared to be long tentacles stretched from its waist. Its face seemed to be almost human, young, but indistinct; there was no way to tell if the features were male or female. Its voice could have belonged to either sex.   
'The gateway is not open yet. Your body shall be returned to you at the proper time.'  
'But the AMP opposes me! Rally Cheyenne has somehow been healed of her wound and Katsumi Liqueur has broken free of the Demon Sword. Without my full powers, our forces cannot prevail.'  
'This last offensive has been…costly. Perhaps it is time to seek a peaceful resolution.'  
'No! Not now, after all we've sacrificed! Will you let Rosa's death be in vain?'  
The being of light stood silent for a moment. 'Very well, I shall return your body. But this is your last chance, Ganossa. Do you understand?'  
'I do. Gaia will be yours.' The lavender-haired mage bowed low and teleported away to reclaim what he had given up in his bargain years ago. A tall black and grey Lucifer Hawk materialized a few feet from where he had been standing.  
'Did you hear everything?'  
'Yes, Goddess Nemesis. I do not trust that man: he has deceived us before.'  
'Neither do I. You must ensure that his plots do not harm us. I rely on you in this, Lucifer.' The Hawk bowed, hand to breast, and departed in the same fashion as Ganossa had [1]. 

Katsumi and Kiddy swapped jokes as they approached the locker room at the end of an exhausting night shift–jokes that made Nami and Yuki blush behind them. The door swung open, almost hitting them in the face, as Alex emerged wearing a long blue robe. 'Morning, ladies,' he yawned.  
'What were you doing in the women's locker room?' demanded Katsumi. The silver-haired man looked up and blinked at the sign.  
'Must've translocated into the wrong one. What's the problem? I didn't see anyone else in there.'  
'Morning, Director. Did you know that this pervert was in the locker room with you?' Alex jumped like a goosed girl as Rally exited the locker room behind him with her jacket over her arm. She adjusted her tie as she answered Kiddy's question.  
'I heard some bad singing, but I thought that was just you. It's nice to know someone's interested in me, though.' Alex blushed and translocated himself into his office.  
'Did she say what I think she said?' Katsumi asked Kiddy once the older woman was out of earshot. The cyborg nodded slowly. The blue-haired mage continued, 'Then the rumours about those two are true? When do you think it started?'  
'Not the night we picked him up in the park. He was in no shape to do anything that night. They were together in her office for a while when he woke up, though…and he walked out with a new job that didn't even exist before.' The two younger officers quietly entered the locker room while Kiddy and Katsumi pondered the question.  
'There's only one way to find out, and I don't think either of you is brave enough to try it,' a new voice interrupted from behind.  
'How long have you been listening, Lum Cheng?'  
'Long enough to know that you and Kiddy are discussing something that really isn't any of your business. Who cares what those two do? From what Grandpa says, it's about time she found someone. I'd like to take a shower now, if you don't mind.' The diminutive mage pushed past the two women with a towel slung over her shoulder.

'If you've broken something, leave it on the table. If you're here to ask about this morning, get out.' Alex called from his office as Kiddy stepped in. His screen displayed the schematics for one of Mobile Division One's suits. An inset in one corner was linked to a camera facing the door.  
'My blaster refuses to accept this magazine. Is something wrong with it?' The redhead dropped the weapon on the desk.  
'Contact's dirty. Looks like Lucifer Hawk ichor…just a sec while I clean it.' Alex strode to the workbench where he picked up a bottle of green solvent and a soft cloth.  
'Hey, what's this?' Kiddy tapped a fat, waist-high cylinder standing in one corner. Multi-coloured lights danced within.  
'That's the firing chamber from one of Simurgh's pulse cannon. It needs a little new coolant, but there's also something not quite right with the power feed. That's the arm from Ralph's suit. The trigger for his blaster's been sticking,' Alex explained as Kiddy poked at a partly disassembled vambrace. As Kiddy prodded a plain black box on the counter, he shouted, 'Don't touch that!'  
'Why? Is it some sort of bomb?'  
'No, that's my lunch [2]. Now, if you'll leave that alone, I have something for you. The R&D folks sent it over just last week. The shippers weren't all that careful with it and it's a little…delicate.' Alex whipped the tarp off a large item in the back corner to reveal a gun fully as long as Kiddy was tall. Bulky cooling and energy supply systems swelled behind the bazooka-style shoulder rest; the trigger was housed in a grip near the muzzle. Kiddy effortlessly hoisted the weapon to her shoulder and jokingly took aim at Alex.  
'Nice. What is it?'  
'The tech people say that it's a combination of the Graviton and the spirit shield weapon first tested almost four years ago by the AMP. The test data indicates that it may be capable of taking out a small building with a single shot. It still hasn't been field-tested against Lucifer Hawks, though. How's the saddle feel?'  
'It's a bit low in the front–makes me want to aim at your feet instead of your head.' A slip of foam duct-taped in place solved the problem.  
Alarms blared in the hall outside, slightly muffled by the walls. Mana's voice cut through the clamour. 'Attention, all personnel: we are now on Status One alert. All officers report to the AMP office for briefing in five minutes.'

Five minutes later, every member of the AMP and Mobile Division One stood in full gear in the AMP's spacious office. Rally wore the slim sword Avalanche Wong had pulled from her that terrible night when Station 00 fell. Lebia called up a map of Tokyo on the holographic display and Mana began the briefing. 'A magic array of immense size and power has appeared in the city. There can be only one purpose for a spell of this magnitude, combined with this level of power from the Cyclotron.' A vast ring surrounded the city, circumscribing a six-pointed star and a variety of cabalistic signs. Red dots marked each point of the star. A crimson cloud from the north drifted slowly towards the flashing point that marked the station.  
'These markers indicate the location of no fewer than six Category One Lucifer Hawks in the city. There is also a large number of lesser Lucifer Hawks approaching from the north, probably to prevent us from interfering.  
'Kiddy, you will defend the station along with the bulk of Mobile Division One and the Cerberus units. Lebia and Yuki will man Simurgh as a mobile command center and medical facility. A team of medics will be on board with them. Lebia, try to stop the Cyclotron if you can. Each other member of AMP will take two Mobile officers to confront one of the Category One Lucifer Hawks.'  
One armoured officer had been counting on his fingers. 'Wait a minute, that leaves one of them without an opponent!'  
'I will take on the last one. Alone.' Alex declared quietly from the back. The assembled officers had heard enough tales of his power that no one dared to gainsay him.  
'Everyone, choose your escorts; we move out in fifteen minutes. The Cyclotron is not yet at full power, so we have a little time. But not much, so move quickly!' As the briefing broke up, Alex beckoned for Rally to meet him beside the door.  
_There are a few things I need to pick up at home. If you wish to join me, I will introduce you to a couple of people you should know if you ever want to visit me.  
__Why not? You might have something I can borrow for the battle._ The two turned down an empty hallway and Alex tapped the stud behind his ear that activated his link to Alice. A golden portal opened before them a moment later.

The portal deposited the couple on a broad lawn with a grove of cherry trees off to one side. Alex said, 'This estate once belonged to my wife: she inherited it from her grandfather and she left it to me. I might as well introduce you to Alice; she's the AI who runs this place while I'm away. Alice, please come out here for a minute.'  
A tall blonde arrayed in a conservative black suit materialized in front of the couple and bowed low. Alex introduced the two women to each other and the hologram vanished.  
Alex immediately set off towards a stately marble building not unlike a Greek temple. Rally almost started upon entering. 'This is a crypt!'  
'Yes. I think you should meet one of the residents. She's at the far end.' He led the way to Elaina's bier. The brunette was in the same position as during his last visit, hands crossed over the sword hilt at her breast. 'Elaina, it's been a while…I've avenged you. But a new battle calls and I would use your sword if I may.'  
The corpse glowed almost imperceptibly and her hands slowly lifted enough for the widower to pull the sword free. They settled over her heart once the tip was clear. Alex saluted his former wife and drew a deep breath. 'Elaina, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Rally Cheyenne, my new business partner and friend…you may be seeing a good bit of her around the house if you're still hanging around. I'll leave you two to get acquainted.'  
With that, he turned towards the entrance of the mausoleum. He stopped at the door and called, 'You wouldn't happen to know where I put the armour your father gave me at our wedding, would you? Ah. thanks.'  
Alex translocated himself into his personal armoury, a room somewhat smaller than his workshop at Station 07. The room was filled with bins of ammunition and an assortment of weapons and armour: polearms, swords, pistols, rifles, and knives filled shelves and racks that left aisles just barely wide enough for the thin man to fit through. _I really should expand this place just in case I gain a little weight_, he noted as he made his way to one corner. He leaned the crystal sword against the wall and picked up a long bundle wrapped in brown paper. Within lay a scabbard wrought of some green metal in the form of twining rose canes punctuated by scarlet blossoms. The sword to which it belonged was equally remarkable: the blade was a single crystal, razor sharp with a flattened diamond cross-section. The crystal was transparent, with just a hint of red. Its hilt was a scarlet and gold phoenix in flight, its wings swept back to form the hand guard; its head and neck extended several inches over the blade. Alex produced a small round stone from his pocket and set it among the phoenix's tail feathers as a pommel. It was perhaps the size of a kiwi and oddly divided into two halves, gold and silver. The boundary between the sections shifted slowly as one watched.  
Rally entered the room just as Alex sheathed this sword, teleporting to his side despite the cramped quarters. 'That's a very interesting sword. Elaina said you would tell me its history.'  
'It is an old heirloom of House Jaddo, my wife's House. Technically, it belongs to her brother now; but he detests anything to do with the old days, so it was interred with Elaina. This mansion was once the seat of House Jaddo, but my father-in-law moved to an orbital colony several years before his father's death and the seat moved with him. My other kin rarely come here.  
'This sword was supposedly wrought in the first Golden Age of this world, a time when magic and science together did great deeds that none have yet matched. It is named the Rose Sword for its colour and the scabbard, but some also call it the Phoenix Blade for its hilt. This stone is a memento of our honeymoon, so I thought it appropriatre to attach it to the sword. We dwelt for a time in a peaceful land lit by two radiant Trees. When we left, the Powers that ruled the land wrought gifts for us of their light. One was the necklace you saw around her neck; this stone was given to me as a light for when I walked in dark places.  
' Elaina wielded this sword often in our travels together…. But it is not the only reason I came here.' A quick flourish removed the cloth covering a standing suit of armour: it consisted of a number of curved black plates, polished into dark mirrors. Two cups covered the shoulders and tapered to a point several inches away. The upper part of the helm extended over the visor in a long narrow bill wrought in the form of a dragon's head.  
'Dragonscales, 'Alex explained. 'Supposedly provides wonderful protection against magical and physical attacks. This suit was a wedding present from Lord Jaddo.' He stripped off his suit and snapped his fingers. The armour disassembled itself and reformed around him. The silver-haired man pulled off the helm and set it back on the stand.  
Rally stopped him as he prepared to call for Alice to send them back to her world. 'Something's been bothering me the last few days. You told me that you never learned to use the mental aspect of your talents–you aren't telepathic in any sense of the word. But we've been talking that way ever since…'  
'I've been wondering about that, as well. It only seems to work when I'm trying to contact you…some races link mentally when they mate, maybe it's something like that. Certain types of vampires can bond other beings to them by forcing them to drink their blood. We can talk about this later…it's time to go back.'

The two emerged from the portal on the roof of Station 07. Kiddy stood there with a dozen Mobile officers and one large helicopter. She handed Rally a slim tablet displaying a map of Tokyo with two red dots on it. 'These are the two Hawks left after everyone else chose their targets. Good luck.'  
'I'll take the far one. We can drop Alex off on the way.' Rally motioned for two armoured   
officers to follow her aboard the helicopter.  
'Thanks, but I think I'll fly.' Two broad wings of black fire unfurled at the silver-haired man's back. He dove off the roof's edge, rolled twice, and shot off towards the Lucifer Hawk's location with Rally's voice ringing in his head. _Showoff!_ The helicopter followed him a moment later.

Simurgh hovered over Tokyo Tower, its computers linked to the data storage facilities housed in the replica of the Eiffel Tower. Yuki sat in the pilot's seat, keeping watch over the silent city. Lebia reclined behind her with a series of plugs attaching her to the computer. Glowing text crawled across Yuki's screen_: Lucifer Hawks purged from Tokyo computer network. Attempting to access Cyclotron system._ After several minutes, a new message appeared: _I'm in. Transmitting K-worm virus to shut down the Megadynes running the Cyclotron. It may take several minutes to work.  
_The plugs retracted and Lebia sat up. 'What's going on, Yuki?'  
'Everyone's fighting…it's not going too well–the Lucifer hawks are very powerful.' The psychic blanched. 'Nami will need the medical bay soon. She's five kilometers southwest of us.'

Nami landed with two Mobile officers, Mark and Ichido, beside a pile of rubble. Three distinct strips of earth glowed at this vertex of the magic array. A single Lucifer Hawk stood atop the heap, built not unlike Alex's Scorpio suit with outsized chest and shoulders. Its head was crowned with a dark halo. 'So, you are the successor of Razan Yamigumo. You cannot hope to succeed where your father failed [3].'  
'Perhaps, but neither can I allow you to destroy this world.' Nami drew the White Tiger Sword, which hung at her side; its blade reflected the light of the magic array in a thousand shards of rainbow. The two officers at her side shouldered Gauss rifles and fired.  
The Hawk vanished from sight as they pulled the triggers and the shots detonated against the building behind it, vaporizing stone and glass. The Hawk snatched up one officer and threw him into the third floor of the building. Nami spun and struck with her sword, cutting deep into alien flesh. The creature grabbed her with its other hand and threw her across the street into the facing storefront. Ichido opened fire with his blaster, but the Hawk merely laughed; it countered with a beam of molten fire that punched through armour and flesh, leaving a foot-wide tunnel in the officer's chest. The demon plucked Nami's sword from his arm and cast it away.  
The priestess struggled to her feet and groped for the dagger she kept in her sleeve. She drew it from her sleeve and pointed it at her opponent. A blazing kirin appeared in the air between them and charged the Lucifer Hawk, wounding it grievously with its horn. Green ichor gushed from the slash before the flesh reknit itself.  
Nami leapt towards where her sword had fallen, pulling a disk embossed with mystic symbols from within her robes as she did so. The Hawk unleashed a second stream of fire, but it bent around the disk to scorch stone and asphalt instead of its target. Suddenly, the Hawk roared in pain as its legs blew away from its body in a thunderous explosion. A Gauss rifle glinted in a window above. The limbs melted and flowed towards their fallen master and reformed within seconds, though slightly smaller than they had been. Before the demon could attack the marksman, Nami plunged her sword through its head. Alien flesh parted to open a channel around the sword, splitting the head in two. The creature slid away and reconstituted its head before standing.  
The Lucifer Hawk struck again with its fiery beam, this time blowing the priestess backwards despite the shield she bore. When the dust settled, the disk lay a few feet from her hand, which was now attached to her arm by only a few shreds of flesh. 'As I said, you never had a chance against me.'  
The Gauss rifle cracked again and the shell blew the Hawk in two. As it gathered itself to continue the battle, a great wind blew down the street and brilliant lights stabbed down from above. The Simurgh had arrived.

'Here they come. Get ready!' Kiddy called out as the swarm of Lucifer Hawks approached Station 07. None were above Category Three, but their numbers were formidable. Kiddy and the Mobile officers were stationed on the roof while twenty Cerberus units cruised around the building. Kiddy's new cannon leaned against the low shack that housed the elevator.  
A swarm of globular piranha, sleek eels, and magenta and grey Mantas approached from the north. They spread out in two great arms to encircle the station and come at it from all sides. The station's shields sparked but held as the first Lucifer Hawks slammed into it. A few of the weaker ones fell charred to the ground or disintegrated entirely. As more Hawks pressed against it, lightning ran across the barrier in a complex net. A few of the more agile or powerful creatures slipped through to be dispatched by Cerberus units. The officers nervously eyed the Hawks as they inspected guns and newly issued knives that were closer in length to short swords.  
'I'm dropping exterior shields. Let 'em have it!' Kiddy shouted into her radio as she stabbed a button hastily rigged to the low parapet and drew a pair of Gravitons. A dozen sets of arm blasters hummed on. One final flash of lightning hurled a dozens of blackened corpses to the ground as the swarm surged forward.  
The invaders were met by a storm of missiles and pulse cannon fire from the Cerberus units circling the station. Those who attacked from above encountered blasters and Graviton bolts. Even Kiddy staggered under the recoil from wielding two of the guns. The few Hawks that managed to evade the defenders' fire threw themselves against the building, but the shields erected to defend the station proper were much stronger than those that had prevented approach.  
One particularly large Manta–almost as wide as a small car with horns as long as a human arm–dove down at Kiddy, twisting to dodge her shots [4]. The other officers fended off their attackers with long knives, carving dripping steaks as Hawks flew by. Kiddy dropped her guns and grabbed the Hawk by its horns as it bared saliva-coated fangs. 'You don't want to eat me: I'm just skin and bones!'  
The cyborg pulled her arms apart, tearing the Manta in two from head to tail. A pair of piranha moved in behind her. She spun and rammed her fist through one, then backhanded the other into the parapet. It slid to the roof to join the growing pile of alien carcasses.  
One man was down, covered by piranha and eels tearing futilely at his armour. Another officer was tearing at the creatures with his knife. Once the man was free, Kiddy ordered his rescuer to get him into the elevator. 'The medics will know what to do.'  
A two-meter long eel wrapped around the redhead and hissed shrilly as it struck at her face. Kiddy ducked her head to one side and shrugged, tearing the beast into several segments. As quickly as it had begun, the assault was over.  
'Now what?' asked Ralph as he leaned against the elevator shack.  
'I dunno. Probably something worse. I don't think we can hold off a second attack like that.' Kiddy replied. Three additional officers were taken below for medical treatment and only two Cerberus units were still functioning. A strange light shone from the center of the great magic array spread over Tokyo.

'You two stay here and guard the helicopter,' Lum Cheng ordered her escort. They'd landed about a block away from the Lucifer Hawk's location, and she could feel its power even here. Ordinary men, even equipped with the latest armour and weapons, wouldn't stand a chance against it.  
'But we're supposed to protect you!'  
'I don't need your protection. Gesso is all I need.' A burst of flame at the officer's feet ended the argument. The purple-haired young mage strode off alone as the two men settled down to await her return.  
The Lucifer Hawk floating above the shattered storefront strongly resembled the one Nami was confronting across town: powerful torso, muscular limbs, and dark halo crowning its head. Lum Cheng noted that its aura faintly resembled that of Katsumi Liqueur for some unfathomable reason. Lightning cracked in the dark clouds above, but no rain fell. The creature stood at the base of a column of light, staring towards the center of the array and oblivious to her approach.  
'Gesso, strike with consuming flame!' A torrent of shimmering fire shot from the rune-carved staff and blasted the Hawk from its perch.  
'Who dares to attack me?' it roared in pain and anger.  
'I am Lum Cheng of the AMP! If you want to destroy this world, you will have to destroy Gesso and me first.' Lightning leapt from the staff as she whirled it above her head and slashed it downwards. The Hawk spread its arms wide and the attack fizzled against its barrier.  
'You do not wield Imperial Gesso even a tenth as well as he who bore it last.' Threads of utter darkness lashed out from the Hawk's hands. Gesso flared with a piercing light and the threads vanished like dew beneath the sun. Lum Cheng whipped the staff in a complex pattern, chanting softly; the light contracted into a thin shaft and took on the form of a wingless Eastern dragon.  
The dragon lunged at its foe, luminous jaws gaping. The Hawk raised one arm to ward off the attack. Alien flesh dissolved at the dragon's touch and its foe retreated a dozen meters down the street. A globe of green fire gathered in its outstretched hand and shot out at the charging dragon. The explosion threw both Hawk and mage through the air and across the pavement. The cloth wrapping one of Lum Cheng's buns was burned away, filling the air with the stench of singed hair.  
'Not bad, little one, but this battle ends now.' A pillar of green fire rose at the Hawk's feet and tore down the street towards the young mage, who was struggling to her feet. She planted Gesso in the ground before her and the column parted to avoid the tall staff. When it had passed, Lum Cheng slumped forward, panting. The Hawk approached and spoke again. 'If such a small thing wearies you so much, this city is doomed.'  
The creature raised its arm for a killing blow, flesh flowing to form a cruel, bitter blade. The limb flashed in the magic array's light as it swung down. And its owner screamed as the blade broke against rune-carved Gesso. The other stump writhed and quivered in sympathy. Lum Cheng lowered the staff and held it like a spear.  
'And if a little pain makes you stop, Ganossa's plan will fail.' The young mage thrust Gesso's spear-like head through her opponent's chest and green ichor sprayed from the wound.  
'That is not enough to defeat one such as I.' The stump of its arm reformed into a hand and the Hawk raised it, gathering its fire. Lum Cheng pulled on Gesso, but its broad head caught in the Hawk's back. Green fire blasted her, tearing the staff free of alien flesh. The girl flew into the storefront behind her and lay motionless atop a pile of boas and lingerie.  
Her foe strode towards her, a fresh blade shining at its side. Suddenly, it halted and growled half to itself, 'What is this call? If that fool has no reason to summon me so, he will be a head shorter.'  
As the Lucifer Hawk faded from sight, Lum Cheng levered herself up with Gesso's aid and whispered 'Come back here, coward,' before collapsing again. The radio tab at her collar blinked, transmitting the distress call it was programmed to give if its owner lost consciousness.

Alex coasted on fiery black wings. He wandered in his own thoughts and the city passed unseen beneath him. _Why are you doing this? I thought you decided that confronting Kylos would be your last battle.  
__I never could say 'no' to a set of beautiful eyes.  
_I_ say you're mad. There's no need for you to join this battle. Rally and the AMP can take care of themselves.  
__I am committed now…I cannot turn back.  
__Do you love her enough to die like this?  
__I…I don't know. But I cannot allow this world to be destroyed without trying to help save it.  
__You always did have a hero complex. And there's your enemy on that roof.  
_Alex set down on the roof of another police station, no deserted except for the Lucifer Hawk standing at the far side. Like the others aiding Ganossa's perversion of Project Gaia, this one was a powerfully built humanoid crowned by a dark halo. As the old warrior folded his wings, it spoke. 'Good evening. I have long desired to test myself against the one who defeated Kylos. Perhaps you will provide better sport than those half-trained girls.'  
Alex gave no reply, but instead shot across the roof with the Rose Sword shining in his hand. The Lucifer Hawk vanished before he struck and rematerialized behind him, hurling a blast of blue flame. The mage's wings instantly folded into a long spindle; the fire washed over it with no apparent effect. The wings snapped open, unleashing a storm of fiery black darts. Most of them rebounded harmlessly off the Hawk's shield.  
'You are a worthy opponent, Alex de Winter. You have the honour of dying at the hands of Gomra Magnoz.' Gomra lowered its shoulder and charged into the armoured man, knocking him over. Alex rolled backwards, bringing his sword up as he did so. The crystal blade bit deeply into the Hawk's fist as it crashed down. The mage came up in a crouch and instantly sprang forward thrusting with the sword.  
The Hawk stepped back and knocked Alex on his face as he charged past. A blast of green fire enveloped the black-clad man. No sign of him remained when the flames died. 'Kylos truly was a weak fool to lose to one such as he.'  
'If your eyes are for more than decoration, you would not be so quick to judge my strength.' Gomra felt the blade tap his shoulder twice before the sweeping blow took his head off. Black fire consumed his body, leaving only a thin trail of ash to blow in the wind.  
A shaft of cerulean light smashed into Alex's backplate, hurling him into a bank's stone lintel on the street below. Gomra's hand clenched on the pavement behind him. The rest of the Hawk sprouted from its stump, shedding a coat of thick slime. Alex's wings crumpled and faded as he fell.  
The Hawk floated down through the clouds of dust raised by their battle to stand beside the fallen warrior. Blood ran freely from his head and the fire had left his eyes. 'It would seem that your eyes are not as sharp as they should be, either.'  
'Perhaps. But you cannot even distinguish reality from illusion,' a half dozen throats chorused. The fallen man rose as five silver-haired copies of him strode out of the swirling dust. Each one carried a faintly pink sword in his black-gauntleted fist. None lost his balance as the ground shook beneath their feet.  
A brilliant light flared to the east, eclipsing the magic array shining at their feet. Gomra turned to gaze uncertainly at this new light. 'My master calls me. I cannot remain here.' Vermilion rings shot from its hands in all directions as the Lucifer Hawk teleported away. Alex stepped out of a shattered storefront and took flight towards Rally.

'Be happy, Mana Isozaki: you are about to leave this world. Whatever afterlife you go to, it is sure to be better than the life you have now.' The green-haired commander lay on a bed of gravel created by her impact against a parking deck. Two Lucifer Hawks hovered before her, broad-shouldered and grey-skinned. Two small silver figures lay inert below them, the Mobile Division officers who had accompanied her; they'd fallen during the first exchange of spells.  
'Proud Ares, succour my friend with Thine shield and strike my foes with Thine flaming sword!' A wall of fire rose between the Hawks and Mana; a beam of crimson light swept across them from the ground below. It was not enough to break their shields, but it sufficed to throw them back a few paces. A silver-haired woman wearing teal suit and maroon tie rose to face the Hawks. They retreated another step. The one with a pair of long horns spoke.  
'We were wondering when the legendary Rally Cheyenne would join this battle. My colleague was beginning to think you had run away.' Rally silently retreated behind the wall of fire to see to Mana.  
'Are you alright, Mana? Taking on two Category One Lucifer Hawks is foolhardy, even for you.'  
'I'm fine, Director. I was holding my own until the second one appeared behind me. I'm afraid that Norita and Akira are dead and our helicopter destroyed.'  
'We have a ride: I left mine with Locke and Hayao a few blocks away.' The fiery wall shook under a spell's impact–the Hawks were getting impatient. 'Are you ready to go see what our rude neighbors want?'  
The wall exploded outwards at Mana's nod. Rally teleported the two of them to the building's roof, leaving the Hawks gaping at the hole where they had been.  
'Noumaka Sanman Tabasara Dansen Damakara Shiyadasowataya Untaratakan Man!'  
'Solal of Sol, Selene of Luna, lend to me the power of silver and gold! Darkness falls, and we have need of light to chase it away!'  
Pink globes of light shot from Mana's hands, followed by two shafts of light from the heavens: one golden as the sun's fire, another the peaceful silver sheen of the moon as it had been before the Silent Crisis. The Hawks' shields held only a few seconds against the attack before they were consumed by the spell's light. A moment later, the building shook violently, throwing the two women to their knees.  
'I can't feel their presence any more…but something is happening at the center of the array. What is Ganossa planning?' Rally asked once they regained their feet.  
'Something that involves all the Hawks he can gather. The true battle is about to begin,' Alex announced as he landed behind them. Simurgh followed shortly; Yuki reported that Nami and Lum Cheng were being treated in the medical bay, but Lebia was close to stopping the Cyclotron.

'Roy, Nozomu, stay here and protect the helicopter. I don't want to have to walk back to the station,' Katsumi ordered as she grasped Grospoliner's hilt. The blue-haired sorceress set off down the street, leaving the men to guard their chopper. Most of the buildings lining the street stood intact, though rubble littered the road.  
The Lucifer Hawk waiting for her two blocks away was just as heavily built as the other five aiding Ganossa, but its lower body resembled a centipede more than a man. 'Good evening, Katsumi Liqueur,' it hissed as she approached. 'Will you not reconsider your foolish decision to fight against us? We are only completing the project your father, Gigelf Liqueur, attempted so many years ago. He too sought to open the doors of Nemesis. Help us fulfill your father's dream!'  
'My father wished to establish peaceful relations between our worlds. The Gate was to be the salvation of both Gaia and Nemesis. Your version of Project Gaia is merely a power grab by Ganossa. I don't know why the original Project failed, but my father tried to seal the Gate when it did. I will finish what he started!' As Katsumi charged, Grospoliner's blade seemed to catch fire, glowing a fierce red.  
'If you would follow your father's path, join us and aid in the union of Gaia and Nemesis.'  
'Never!' The blade swept across the Hawk, cleaving off its long segmented tail.  
'How? The Blade of Barzabel…but you never spoke the incantation.'  
'I am the Key to the Gates of Nemesis, and I _will_ close that door forever.'  
The Hawk's flesh melted and reformed, making it whole once more. The creature laughed as it crawled atop a steel I-beam protruding from a pile of rubble. 'You do not understand: without the resources of Gaia, Nemesis cannot long survive. The Gate _must _open! Master Ganossa has obtained your genetic code to serve as the Key–we no longer need you. Now perish!' The ground exploded beneath Katsumi's feet and the magic array brightened. 'Ah! The Gate is almost open. Soon, life will again flow in Nemesis as Ganossa promised. What?!'  
The ground trembled and a great pillar of light appeared at the center of the array. The Hawk stared at the new light and cocked its head as though listening to someone. It nodded reluctantly and teleported away. Katsumi floated to the Hawk's former perch, Grospoliner blazing in her hand. 'Where did it go?'  
'Ganossa has turned against Nemesis and put in motion a plan that will destroy both Nemesis and Gaia. Come with me: I will take you to the place where our strength is being gathered to defend the two worlds,' Lucifer rumbled as it materialized beside her.  
'What about Roy?'  
'He is already on his way. As we should be.'

Ganossa stood on the shattered remains of a skyscraper at the center of the great magic array, a casualty of the past weeks' skirmishes. Suddenly, he pitched forward onto the rubble below with one hand clutching at his chest. Strange patterns of brown and black appeared on his skin. The lavender-haired mage growled as he slowly rose to his feet. 'This body…it is merely a construct made of Lucifer Hawk flesh. It seems that Lord Nemesis had no more intention of keeping his word than I did. Very well, then; if neither Nemesis nor Gaia will serve me, let them both perish.' The ground rumbled beneath his feet and the array flared with new light.  
'Lucifer Hawks, come to me! Become my new flesh and blood!' Four broad-shouldered almost-human forms materialized around him; a flock of lesser Hawks screamed as they flew in.  
'What do you want, Ganossa? We were within minutes of destroying the AMP.'  
'The AMP is less than nothing to me now! This whole world will soon be destroyed, and Nemesis, too. Now join your flesh and power to me!' The Hawks roared as the light dissolved their bodies. Streams of darkness wound about Ganossa, twisting into a winged form that dwarfed the skyscrapers around it. Great spikes adorned its shoulders and ringed its neck. The ground trembled and buildings fell as this new Lucifer Hawk rose.  
'Hear me, AMP! The time has come for this war to end. _Nothing_ shall survive this final battle!'  
'That…thing is Ganossa?!' Rally gasped. The survivors of the AMP and Mobile Division One stood on the roof of Station 07, several miles from the giant Ganossa had turned into. Lucifer nodded grimly beneath her, its tophat-shaped head threatening to overbalance the Hawk. The building's continual shaking did not seem to affect it, however.  
'He has turned against both Gaia and Nemesis. If he succeeds in what he plans, both worlds will perish. The Lucifer Hawks he has forcibly joined to himself managed to report that much to our Goddess before he silenced them.'  
'Director! The Cyclotron…it's rising!' Lebia dashed down Simurgh's ramp to show Rally the tablet displaying this development. Moments later, the great ring could be seen clearing the rooftops. An immense hole appeared in the sky as lightning crackled about the Cyclotron. Legions of Lucifer Hawks descended from the portal as a planet approached.  
Lucifer's single eye fixed on the rapidly growing speck. 'NO! It can't be…if Nemesis and Gaia touch, both worlds will be destroyed utterly.'  
'We must get closer,' Katsumi muttered. 'Even my spells don't have enough range to damage him at this range.'  
'We can't use Simurgh or the helicopters. Those Lucifer Hawks would just swarm us under,' Mana pointed out. She leaned heavily on Lum Cheng's shoulders, but had no visible injuries. The young mage bore bandages on her face and left arm, but stood with Gesso's aid.  
Alex suggested teleportation. 'Yuki, Rally, Katsumi, Lucifer and I all have that power. One of us can bring Kiddy and her cannon along.'  
'Hey, what about us?' Roy asked. The remaining effectives of Mobile Division One stood in close ranks with Gauss rifles shouldered.  
'We can't take you. This is not an enemy you can hurt with guns–' Katsumi began.  
Ralph cut her off. 'We came this far with you. You can't just ditch us at the end here.' Rally nodded and motioned for the officers to take their places beside those who would teleport them to a location mere blocks from Ganossa.  
The officers materialized on a broad roof, which once covered an indoor driving range. As they watched, the rotating Cyclotron ground to a halt: Lebia's K-worms had accomplished their task. Ganossa roared, 'NO! Not now! But you are too late, AMP. The Gate is open.'  
A green orb gathered in the giant's jaws. Then a beam shot out at the gathered officers, disintegrating buildings in its path. Mana, Katsumi, Rally, Lum Cheng, Alex, and Lucifer stood before the blast, combining their power in a single shield. Even they were pushed back by the force of the attack. Suddenly, Lum Cheng collapsed and the beam broke through. The explosion hurled the mages into the armoured officers standing behind them, but they had blocked most of Ganossa's power and were merely singed.  
Katsumi leveled Grospoliner at the giant and chanted, 'Spirits of the sky, Shad Balshmos Haa of the moon! Cast on me the silver sword! Shed the light meant for the planet Thune and fulfill your contract with Selene [5]!'  
A shaft of golden light shot out from her sword and spattered against Ganossa's shield. Beam pushed against shield for long seconds, but the attack eventually fizzled. The AMP stood silently in shock: if that spell was not enough to break Ganossa's defenses, what would?  
The giant's chest opened, and a tiny human figured emerged. It spoke with Ganossa's voice, mocking its foes. 'Is that the full power of the great Katsumi Liqueur? You may have stopped the Cyclotron, but even Goddess Nemesis cannot stand–'  
The creature's taunts were cut short by the crack of a Gauss rifle. A moment later, the hole in the giant's chest blazed with the light of a matter-antimatter detonation. The creature's flesh sloughed off, each fragment resolving into an individual Lucifer Hawk, as the thing in the hole continued to scream. Roy pulled his rifle's bolt to chamber a fresh round. He grinned sheepishly as the five mages turned the evil eye on him. 'I just remembered that these rounds were supposed to be able to penetrate the type of shields Lucifer Hawks use most often. It was worth a shot.'  
'And so the prophecy is fulfilled,' Alex murmured. Feeling the others' stare, he elaborated: 'There was a small temple in Tokyo that dealt in prophecies. Ganossa happened to show up for a consultation at the same time I did…the oracle said that he would not be slain by any spell.'  
The Gate in the sky was closing and the remaining Lucifer Hawks slowly drifted back towards their home. Lucifer turned and bowed to Rally. 'Thank you for your aid against this man who threatened my Goddess. I will go now, to lead my people home. Goddess Nemesis has ordered that no more of us visit Gaia for the time being. Certain…rebels may attempt to visit your world despite this. Deal with them as you see fit. Perhaps another generation will fulfill Gigelf's dream of peaceful coexistence between us.'  
Rally surveyed the ruined city below them after Lucifer had left. 'There's a lot of rebuilding to be done. Good thing I have stakes in most of the construction companies. And what will you do, Alex?'  
'I'll probably retire for a while. I'm not as young as I used to be, after all. You could join me if you'd like.'  
'Thank you, but there's too much to do here. Come back in a year or two and my answer might be different.'

**Notes: **

1) The exchange between Ganossa and Nemesis is taken from vol.11 of the manga, with a few alterations. Any confusion that may result from the deal involving half of his body is shared by this author and may be solely attributed to M. Asamiya. The same goes for the dialogue between Katsumi and the Lucifer Hawk she fights later on.

2) Two pints and a cookie to anyone who knows where that little scene came from. I meant to put it in earlier, but now's as good a time as any.

3) The name of Nami's father is given in vol.11 of the manga, and also in the episode 'Mobius Klein,' I think. Her clan holds a number of powerful relics, of which the Kirin Dagger and the White Tiger Sword are the only two whose names I've encountered. The kirin is a mythical creature that strongly resembles the Western unicorn…it is available as a summon in at least one Final Fantasy game (FFVI; III for those in the States…and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance). There is also a Kirin card in the Legend of the Five Rings card game…rather an interesting card, really, but I forget exactly what it does.

4) The Mantas are those weird flying things Katsumi summoned deal with Nami and the Simurgh when they were captured…I think that was at the end of the episode 'Hell Road.' They might've appeared earlier in the series, though. They resembled flying Manta rays with fleshy horns trailing back from almost-human faces. The dorsal surface is magenta, and the belly is grey. The Cerberus system is a collection of robotic weapons platforms that appear here and there in the manga…their primary purpose seems to be keeping people out of restricted areas and patrolling Tokyo after its evacuation towards the end of the storyline.

5) The incantation is from vol.2 of the manga…I do not quite remember the variation used in the anime beyond a vague phrase about 'The Light of Cthulu.' It seems to be the most powerful of her spells in the anime.

I've noticed that I've been a bit inconsistent about Katsumi's hair colour, saying it's purple in one chapter and then saying it's blue. It's strange…it's blue on the cover of the first volume of the manga and in the TV series. However, it's purple on the last few manga covers, as is Rally's. I like the blue better personally, but I'm too lazy to go back and change every reference.

If the latter part of the chapter seems confusing, it's because I've decided to base my ending on the one in the manga since it's far better than the one I'd previously created. All the battles are supposed to be happening simultaneously around the city. Some of the dialogue is taken from Kia Asamiya's ending, but most of it is my own.

Well, that's the end of this version of 'Requiem Knight.' Thank you for staying with this story for so long. I began the first version over a year ago, basing it mostly on the anime. Then I bought the manga and realized that M. Asamiya had written a far superior ending, so I scrapped the fic and started anew. I also wanted to develop the relationship between Alex and Rally a little better…I think I've done so, but I'm still not quite satisfied. In hindsight, it might have been better to post this chapter as a handful of shorter ones, or perhaps omitting a couple of the battles. I hope this wasn't too long or boring. If I had any talent at drawing, I would have rendered this as a comic with the battles on alternating pages: a few pages for Katsumi, followed by a bit of Nami, and going around like that up to the point where Ganossa makes his metamorphosis. Unfortunately, the technique that works so well in panels or on film fails utterly when written.

There will be no further updates to this fic unless I decide to retouch one of the chapters, as it were. And now I leave you with the lyrics to the song at the end of the TV series (at least, these are what the words sound like to me…the official lyrics may be slightly different). It has been a sort of theme song for this fic ever since I found the song on a website about a year ago.

Think, O lover, of the times that we have shared  
Came along the day we finally took our vows  
You failed the strength to go on with your life, who knows when we'll meet again?  
I feel you in the summer wind; the love inside of me is keeping me alive  
No time to think of the mistake: the one mistake I have made is causing me pain  
Soar through the sky to see how high you go  
No can touch you, so fly to and fro  
Dreams shall remain untold and lo! Awake and realize it's all true

[chorus]

Love's forbidden  
To see you once again, angels from above are telling me to pray  
Stars in the sky are showing us the way  
Never let go of the hope  
Love's forbidden  
Can't justify the pain  
Don't lose the love that lights up the stars  
Rain me down…I pray your soul to keep where love can be found

I see your smile in everything; the beauty flows inside of me and keeps me alive  
The view: think of the past–the past the brought joy to you and filled up your heart  
Memories filled with pain still linger on  
Must face the truth 'cause our love is now gone  
Never forget the joy that we had; come hold my hand while we can 

[chorus (x2)]


End file.
